IHG Opens First Crowne Plaza Hotel in El Salvador

MIAMI -- IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), (LON:IHG), (NYSE:IHG) (ADRs), the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, and leading international hotel company in Central America, today announced the opening of the Crowne Plaza San Salvador, the first of its brand in El Salvador.

“There was a need for a Crowne Plaza in El Salvador as this is a brand with significant international recognition that appeals to the executive market within the country.” .The property is part of a franchise agreement between IHG and Latin American Hospitality Management Inc., Grupo AGRISAL‘s Hotel Division. This is IHG’s 15th Crowne Plaza throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and its 22nd overall property in Central America.

The 194-room Crowne Plaza San Salvador is a conversion of the former Hotel El Salvador. Located in the high-end business district of Colonia Escalón at 89 Ave. Norte y 11 calle Poniente, the hotel underwent significant renovations in order to meet the Crowne Plaza brand standards.

Boasting 23 meetings rooms of premium event space, including the largest ballroom in the country, with capacity for 3,000 people, the property is interconnected to the World Trade Center’s Torre Futura. Recently inaugurated and designed as a ‘smart’ building, Torre Futura yields 19 stories of prime commercial office space along with a retail component.

The Crowne Plaza San Salvador features premium accommodations designed for the discerning business and leisure traveller who appreciates simplified elegance combined with the practicality of the latest features and quality service.

At Crowne Plaza, guests can enjoy 24-hour business service and wireless high-speed internet access as well as a comprehensive meetings program that ensures a seamless planning process consisting of three key components: a Two Hour Response Guarantee, Crowne Meetings Director and a Daily Meetings Debrief.

Beyond the hotel’s exceptional meeting and banquet space, dining and recreation is also a centerpiece of the Crowne Plaza San Salvador. The property offers a variety of amenities including a Club Lounge, a business center, two restaurants and a bar, a fully-equipped fitness center and a semi-Olympic outdoor swimming pool.

Grupo AGRISAL, which began its relationship with IHG in 2006, also owns the Holiday Inn San Salvador and the under-construction Holiday Inn Express Zona Rosa San Salvador, both located in El Salvador. Grupo AGRISAL is also in the process of developing four additional properties, including the Holiday Inn Escazú in San José, Costa Rica, slated to open November 2010.

“We are delighted to introduce the first Crowne Plaza property in El Salvador, as well as continuing to further our relationship with Grupo AGRISAL’s hotel division,” said Alvaro Diago, Chief Operating Officer, IHG Latin America and the Caribbean. “There was a need for a Crowne Plaza in El Salvador as this is a brand with significant international recognition that appeals to the executive market within the country.”

The hotel features the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage®, available at all Crowne Plaza hotels in the Americas. Sleep Advantage encompasses the entire sleep experience, from training staff on how to create and maintain a restful environment to providing innovative products and services. Program components include signature beds and bedding, guaranteed wake-up calls, designated quiet zones, night-lights, drape clips and amenities such as eye masks, earplugs and lavender spray.

“The addition of the Crowne Plaza brand is an ideal fit for us,” said Eduardo Quiñónez, from GRUPO AGRISAL. “We are currently involved with Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties, and feel confident that broadening our IHG brand portfolio is a positive step.”

Other Crowne Plazas in Latin America and the Caribbean include the Crowne Plaza San Pedro Sula, Crowne Plaza Guatemala, Crowne Plaza Corobici San José Costa Rica, Crowne Plaza Managua, Crowne Plaza Panama, and Crowne Plaza Port-of-Spain, among others.

IHG has nearly 190 hotels in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for 64 years. IHG has hotels situated in nearly every key market throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.