IHG Launches Hotel Franchising Program for Holiday Inn Express in China

IHG Launches Hotel Franchising Program for Holiday Inn Express in China

April 19, 2007

    SHANGHAI, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- IHG
(InterContinental Hotels Group) announced today that it
will offer a hotel franchising program for the Holiday Inn
Express brand in China.  This announcement follows the
successful opening of the first six Holiday Inn Express
hotels and the signing of close to 20 additional management
contracts for the brand in Greater China.

    (Logo: http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/200702131431.jpg
)

    Kieron Ritchard, vice president, strategy for Greater
China, IHG Asia Pacific, said: "From the outset, we
designed our Holiday Inn Express support platform in China
with franchising in mind.  Our support model is based on
our insights and experience gained from 23 years of
successfully operating market-leading hotels in China. 
This, together with our 50 years of global franchising
experience, unparalleled brand equity and our strong local
support team, will ensure our success as a hotel franchisor
in China."

    The Holiday Inn Express China Franchise Program will be
offered to hotel owners who share IHG's vision for the brand
and possess the necessary skills and resources to operate a
portfolio of hotels directly, with IHG's support.  IHG will
focus its Holiday Inn Express development efforts on China's
gateway cities and major economic centres, with the
intention to partner with franchisees on a multi-property
basis.  IHG will continue to offer management services for
Holiday Inn Express investors who prefer to have their
hotels managed by IHG. 

    Ritchard added that over the years, IHG has developed
strong relationships with a broad base of talented business
partners in China.  Several of these partners have indicated
their interest in making Holiday Inn Express a significant
part of their future business focus.  "Introducing the
franchise program is a logical extension of IHG's growth
strategy in China, where we have the depth of management
talent, scale, local resources and widespread distribution
to effectively support our franchise partners," he
added. 

    Holiday Inn Express is a smart, innovative and
refreshing hotel choice, offering high-quality, reliable
and well-designed hotel accommodation with focused
services.  Hotel owners worldwide have embraced the brand
as a smart investment choice.  With 574 new Holiday Inn
Express hotels in the global development pipeline, the
brand is one of the fastest growing hotel brands in the
world.  In China, the rapid expansion of domestic business
as well as leisure travel has exposed the need for a
credible hotel product positioned between full-service four
star hotels and budget hotels.  Holiday Inn Express fills
this gap, offering value and convenience to China's savvy
business and leisure travellers. 

    The first Holiday Inn Express hotels in Greater China
have been launched in cities such as Hong Kong, Beijing,
Shanghai, Dalian and Tianjin.  Five more Holiday Inn
Express hotels are scheduled to open in 2007, covering new
markets such as Suzhou and Hefei as well as extending the
brand presence in Shanghai.

    Holiday Inn Express was established in the US in 1991
and has a current portfolio of nearly 1,700 hotels and more
than 143,500 rooms worldwide.

    Notes to Editors: 

    About IHG

    InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom
(LON: IHG; NYSE: IHG (ADRs)) is the world's largest hotel
group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group
owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various
subsidiaries, over 3,700 hotels and 556,000 guest rooms in
nearly 100 countries and territories around the world.  The
Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected
hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels &
Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday
Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R),
Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel
Indigo(TM), and also manages the world's largest hotel
loyalty programme, Priority Club(R) Rewards. 

    InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and
online reservations for all its hotel brands at
http://www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club
Rewards programme at http://www.priorityclub.com .

    For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group,
visit our online Press Office at http://www.ihg.com/media .


    For more information, please contact:

     Sharona Tao
     IHG
     Tel:   [phone]
     Fax:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]