New Holiday Inn Express® Hotel Breaks Ground in Xalapa, Mexico with an Owner Investment of Over $6 Million

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Selfi Grupo Operador de Estacionamientos, S.A. de C.V., recently celebrated the ground break on April 22nd of the Holiday Inn Express® Hotel Xalapa. Prominent personalities who attended the ground-breaking ceremony included José Antonio Mansur Beltrán, Federal Delegate of the Economy Ministry, (SE), Carlos Canales Freeman, Chairman State of the Association of Industrial of the State of Veracruz A.C. (Aievac), members of Congress of State and executives, and members of the construction company GILCA among others. Slated to open summer 2014, the construction of this hotel is expected to generate at least 150 direct and 300 indirect jobs.

"Veracruz continues to be a wonderfully diverse destination, where we remain committed to finding the most strategic brand platforms to serve the robust demand in this region," said Gerardo Murray, vice president, Marketing Strategic Services, for IHG in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. "We look forward to growing the Holiday Inn Express® brand here and offering business and leisure travelers an enhanced guest experience that is fresh and modern."

This addition further strengthens the IHG portfolio presence inVeracruz, which currently includes seven hotels comprising two Crowne Plaza® hotels, three Holiday Inn® hotels, one Holiday Inn Express hotel, and a Hotel Indigo® hotel. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel Xalapa will be in the heart of the city on Zaragoza 8, Col. Centro. The five-story, 114-room hotel is being developed by GILCA, with an investment of over $6 million. The 13-story building will have multiple levels of underground parking, two stories devoted to business use and a multi-purpose hall capable of seating up to 400 people.

"This new-build hotel is scheduled to open in summer of 2014, just in time for the forthcoming XXII Central American and The Caribbean Games in Veracruz", said Pablo Delgado Rannauro, president and CEO, Selfi, Grupo Operador de Estacionamientos.

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel Xalapa will be designed in line with the Holiday Inn brand family's $1 billion global brand relaunch, the largest project of its kind in hospitality history. The relaunch continues to drive increased quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The new hotel will feature a contemporary image with emphasis on arrival and welcome services, guestroom and guest bath comfort and a redesigned logo and signage.

Guests will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a pleasurable experience. The complimentary Express Start®breakfast bar will feature a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit, pancakes, the brand's proprietary cinnamon roll, and Smart Roast®coffee. The SimplySmart™ shower will incorporate a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod. Upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and Bath & Body Works White Citrus bath products are also included. Guests will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection, where they will find crisp fresh bedding that features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft, 200 thread-count sheets.

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel Xalapa, owned and managed by Selfi, Grupo Operador de Estacionamientos, S.A. de C.V., is franchised by an affiliate of IHG. Holiday Inn Express hotels participate in IHG's hotel rewards program, IHG®Rewards Club. The industry's fast-growing guest loyalty program with 73 million members is free and guests can enroll by logging on at IHGRewardsClub.com, by calling 01-800-000-0404 or by inquiring at any of IHG's more than 4,600 hotels worldwide.

About The Holiday Inn Express® Brand
Holiday Inn Express® hotels are modern hotels for value-oriented travelers. Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers. Guests at Holiday Inn Express hotels enjoy a free hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls (U.S. and Canada only). There are currently more than 2,200 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit IHG.com/HolidayInnExpress. For our latest news visit,www.facebook.com/HolidayInnExpress andwww.twitter.com/HolidayInnExpress.