InterContinental Hotels Group, the world's most global hotel company, just got larger, announcing this week the acquisition of the Candlewood Suites brand. In this streaming audio feature, hear highlights from this week's big announcement with IHG senior VP Kirk Kinsell.

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InterContinental Hotels Group To Acquire Candlewood Suites Brand Growing Hotel Portfolio To Six Brands
Candlewood Hotel Company Signs Asset Sale Agreements

Kirk Kinsell is senior vice president, Americas franchising and business development, for the Americas division of InterContinental Hotels Group (LON: IHG; NYSE: IHG [ADRs]), a leading global hospitality company. As senior vice president, Americas franchising and business development, Mr. Kinsell is responsible for franchise sales, relations, administration, food and beverage and hotel quality standards across all Intercontinental Hotels Group brands and properties in the Americas. In addition, he heads up all real estate development activities sponsored on behalf of the Company and has responsibility for new brand development in the Americas. This position marks Mr. Kinsell's return to Intercontinental Hotels Group, where from 1988 to 1995 he served as senior vice president of franchise for Holiday Inn Worldwide, a predecessor of Intercontinental Hotels Group. In that capacity he led the launch of Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Select and Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts brands. In 1995 and 1996, Mr. Kinsell served as president of the franchise division at ITT Sheraton, where he created the Four Points Hotels concept. In 1997, Mr. Kinsell became president and chief operating officer of Avado Brands Inc., which during his tenure operated more than 220 restaurants in high-growth brands, including Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen, Hops Restaurant Bar and Brewery, McCormick & Schmick Restaurants and Canyon Cafe restaurants. Most recently, Mr. Kinsell served as president and chief executive officer of Micell Technologies Inc. Under Mr. Kinsell's leadership, Micell Technologies was recognized as the 2001 Entrepreneurial Company of the Year for North Carolina. Mr. Kinsell holds a master's of professional studies degree from the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego. Additionally, he completed the Senior Executive Program at the London Business School.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom (LON: IHG), [NYSE: IHG] , owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 3,300 hotels and 515,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world ( ). The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites, and also has a controlling interest in Britvic, the second largest soft drinks manufacturer in the UK. InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and reservations capability on the Internet – for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, www.crowneplaza.com for Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, www.holiday-inn.com for Holiday Inn hotels, for Holiday Inn Express hotels, www.staybridge.com for Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn hotels and, for the Group's rewards program, www.priorityclub.com.

Kevin Heilbronner is the US Editor for wiredhotelier.com and hospitalitynet.org, providing streaming multimedia-content for these websites. Based outside of Washington DC, Heilbronner has worked with Hsyndicate to conduct interviews at several hospitality trade shows in the US and Europe over the last couple of years. His column and content are featured in the Hospitality Net weekly newsletter. A familiar voice in Washington, DC, Heilbronner is the stadium announcer for the NBA's Washington Wizards, WNBA's Washington Mystics and WUSA's Washington Freedom. He resides in Centreville, VA and can be reached via email: [email protected].