IHG Signs Agreement for New Holiday Inn Express® Rosario in Argentina

Hotel Will Be the Second IHG Property Located in Rosario

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced that it has signed a new franchise agreement for the Holiday Inn Express Rosario in Argentina. The 9-story, 175-guestroom hotel will be located at Salta 1950, Rosario, Provincia de Santa Fe, in the commercial district and close to many office buildings and the main port and is scheduled to open in December 2009.

The Holiday Inn Express Rosario is owned and will be managed by Organización Panamerica, S.A., under a franchise agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.

“This is our second hotel venture in Rosario with Organización Panamerica, S.A., who also owns the Holiday Inn Rosario, and we are thrilled to be nurturing our relationship with them,” said Alvaro Diago, COO of IHG, Latin America and Caribbean. ”The Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing hotel brands in its segment offering competitive rates that are ideal for both business and leisure travelers.”

The Holiday Inn Express Rosario will feature the brand’s new sign, which marks the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program. First announced in 2007, the Holiday Inn global brand relaunch was established to create a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom, and guest bath comfort. The global estate of more than 3,300 Holiday Inn and

Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010, and more than 1,200 hotels have been relaunched to date.

Elements of the relaunch for Holiday Inn Express include:

• Redesigned Brand Signage | An evolution of the iconic script logo, energizing the signature color green and eliminating the current shield shape for a more refreshed and contemporary look.
• Warm Welcome | A new signature arrival – including new lighting, landscaping and design features – that creates an energized and branded sense of welcome that is universally recognizable. Customized music and scent selections also engage guests in a complete sensory experience, and a decluttered front desk to promote a more efficient and interactive check-in process.
• New Service Promise | A best-in-class service culture – “Stay Real” – to further ensure the team develops the behaviors and skills to best serve guests so they feel like individuals and not numbers. Genuine people delivering real service. Leading the charge will be a newly created position at each hotel – the Guest Experience Champion.

Guests at the Holiday Inn Express Rosario will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a productive stay while traveling for business or leisure. The hotel’s newly enhanced complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar will feature a full range of breakfast items including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, and fruit. The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products. And, guests will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

“We are pleased to be entering into our second hotel agreement with IHG,” said Cesar Bassetti a representative from Organización Panamerica, S.A. “IHG is one of the most esteemed hotel companies in the world with the most attractive brands, and we are certain travelers will find the Holiday Inn Express Rosario to be one of the most modern hotels, providing the utmost in comfort and experience at a great value.”

The Holiday Inn Express Rosario will boast amenities such as a fitness room, business center, several meeting rooms and wireless Internet access. Standard Holiday Inn Express hotel guest rooms feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine.

Located 300 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires, Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe with a population of close to one million. Rosario is also considered to be one of the

most important industrial cities in Argentina and is strategically located on the Parana River where there is a major port with daily shipments of goods which are exported daily to northeastern Argentina.

With more than 1,900 properties worldwide and more than 600 properties in the global pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in key markets in the Latin America region such as Bogotá, Colombia; Quito, Ecuador; and Natal, Brazil; providing guests from around the world with an enhanced stay experience at a great value.

IHG has more than 180 hotels in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for over 60 years. IHG has hotels situated in nearly every key market throughout the Latin American territory.

Holiday Inn Express hotels participate in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has over 44 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on www.priorityclub.com, calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,300 hotels worldwide.