Dubai, UAE, 2014-2-11 — /travelprnews.com/ — InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a 20-year management agreement with Al Khorayef & Sons Co for a 189-key Staybridge Suites hotel in Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This will be the first Staybridge Suites property in Al Khobar and the third to be announced in Saudi Arabia.
Al Khorayef & Sons Co is a group of companies established over 50 years ago in the Kingdom with an International presence. The group is diversified into several industries including real estate development, petroleum solutions, manufacturing, trading and government contracting.
IHG is the largest international hotel group in Saudi Arabia both by number of rooms and number of hotels. Staybridge Suites Al Khobar joins five other IHG properties operating under three brands in the city, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn.
The entry of Staybridge Suites is timed to meet the rising demand for extended stay properties in Al Khobar due to its rising popularity as a regional and international business hub on Saudi Arabia’s east coast. The city is also home to many employees of Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, and benefits from a high number of leisure travellers during summer and winter school holidays that prefer to stay in hotels that give them access to home-like comforts on the road.
The strategic location of the hotel on Al Khobar’s King Fahd Road also makes it convenient for guests travelling to the nearby cities of Damman and Dhahran. Once complete, Staybridge Suites Al Khobar will form part of a larger mixed-use development which will include multiple retail and food and beverage outlets.
Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, India & Africa, IHG commented: “With five properties currently in Al Khobar, we have a strong presence and in-depth knowledge of the area. Through the years we have observed its growth potential as a hub for both business and leisure travellers. This is our third Staybridge Suites to be announced in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in response to a growing demand for extended stay properties and we predict a strong future for the brand across the Kingdom”.
Bandar Alkhorayef, CEO of Al Khorayef & Sons Co added: “The King Fahd Road development is an exciting prospect for Al Khobar as the city continues to expand and business in the area is set to flourish. With the brand’s stellar reputation, Staybridge Suites Al Khobar puts Alkhorayef Tower in a good position to attract extended-stay guests looking for a home away from home.”
The Staybridge Suites brand launched in 1998 and the first Staybridge Suites in the Middle East opened in Cairo in 2008, and in Abu Dhabi in 2009. The brand is across the Middle East with seven properties in the pipeline for the region.
IHG currently operates 24 hotels in Saudi Arabia, with nine hotels due to open within the next three to five years.
Notes to Editors:
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of nine hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts.
IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 76 million members worldwide. The programme was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet for Elites across all hotels, globally.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,600 hotels and 679,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate over the next few years.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg,www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.
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IHG signed 20-year management agreement with Al Khorayef & Sons Co for Staybridge Suites hotel in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia