IHG Signs Two New Hotels in Abu Dhabi

InterContinental Hotels Group has signed  two new hotels in Abu Dhabi.

Located in close proximity to the InterContinental Abu Dhabi, the new 184-key InterContinental Abu Dhabi – Grand Marina will feature rooms and serviced apartments along with a Michelin star signature restaurant with a rooftop bar; a lounge and bar with a terrace and private dining rooms; a destination bar as well as a premium spa and pool. Scheduled to open in 2016, the hotel will also have extensive meeting space catering for the ever growing MICE market.

The 257-key Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi Downtown, which will be a conversion of the current Sands Hotel in downtown Abu Dhabi, will feature a restaurant, bar, pool, fitness centre and dedicated meeting space. The new hotel will undergo a refurbishment and open as a Holiday Inn by the end of 2014.

Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG commented: “As the capital of the UAE and one of the fastest growing cities in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi is a key market for IHG and we see strong potential for all our brands here. Our owners play an important role in our growth strategy and we are committed to building long-term relationships with them. We have had a long and successful partnership with the National Corporation of Tourism and Hotels and Pearl Azure Hotel Management LLC for nearly two decades now. The signing of the new InterContinental and Holiday Inn is a fantastic step in for both our Owners and IHG and we look forward to continuing our partnership to develop more industry-leading hotels for the growing travel market in Abu Dhabi.”

IHG currently has 18 hotels open in the UAE across five brands, with another seven in the pipeline. There are five IHG properties operating in Abu Dhabi: an InterContinental hotel, two Crowne Plaza hotels, a Holiday Inn and a Staybridge Suites. This latest announcement brings the total number of properties in IHG's development pipeline for Abu Dhabi to three, including a new Staybridge Suites which will open in the next three to five years.