ihg and ishraq steer development of limited service hotels in middle east

Published June 29th, 2008 - 05:30 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), in partnership with Ishraq Gulf Real Estate Holding Co. has today announced the opening of Holiday Inn Express Dubai Safa Park – the first property to begin trading under the brand’s new name and the second Express property to open in Dubai within 12 months.

Leading on from the success of Express by Holiday Inn Dubai Internet City, the 171 room Holiday Inn Express Dubai Safa Park will cater to the growing demands for limited service hotels, offering competitive pricing, quality accommodation for both business and leisure travellers and the reassurance that an international brand brings.

Following today’s opening IHG and Ishraq also announced the impending opening of another property, in Dubai - Jumeirah in August, growing the Express estate to three within the UAE.

“This is a landmark opening for IHG and we are delighted to again be working in partnership with Ishraq to launch the second Express property in the Middle East. The limited service sector is a burgeoning new segment in the Middle East and IHG is committed to ensuring that we are at the forefront of this development,” explained John Bamsey, Chief Operating Officer, IHG, Middle East and Africa.

“The fact that we have two Express properties opening in such a short period highlights our dedication to growing the limited service sector throughout the region and delivering a great night’s sleep at an affordable price.”

Catering primarily to the short stay frequent business traveller, Holiday Inn Express Dubai Safa Park is conveniently located on Sheikh Zayed Road close to the major business districts of Dubai; just 5 minutes from Dubai International Financial City and a short drive from the commercial hubs of Jebel Ali Free Zone, Media City and Internet City. For those precious moments of down-time the hotel is also located near to major shopping centres and within a short walking distance from Safa Park, Dubai’s largest public park.

Each of its modern rooms come with a pillow menu, enhanced en-suite facilities with a power-shower all designed to provide guests with a more refreshing and comfortable stay.

Sami Al Ansari, Ishraq’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Ishraq is pleased to be working alongside IHG to bring another Express property to the Middle East. Our third property, Dubai - Jumeirah is due to launch in the next few weeks ensuring we are in a strong position to lead the limited service sector across Dubai, with Ishraq’s aggressive expansion plans for the greater region already in progress.”

Holiday Inn Express Dubai Safa Park will be operated by Ishraq Hospitality Management a subsidiary of Ishraq Gulf Real Estate Holding Co. the exclusive developer of the Holiday Inn Express hotels in the GCC countries, excluding Saudi Arabia.

Developed by InterContinental Hotels Group, Express by Holiday Inn is the world’s largest limited service hotel brand and is growing rapidly. Worldwide there are more than 1,800 properties and more than 158,000 rooms operating under this brand flag.