LATIN AMERICA: InterContinental Hotels Expands Across Latin America And The Caribbean

InterContinental Hotels Group continues to expand its brands across Latin America and the Caribbean, with 40 hotels in the current pipeline to add nearly 6,000 rooms in the region over the next several years.

InterContinental Hotels Group, the third largest hotel group worldwide in terms of rooms, confirmed its ongoing expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Its regional portfolio increased significantly in 2016 alone:

In Mexico, IHG announced the arrival of the Candlewood Suites brand in Mexico and the continued growth of the Staybridge Suites brand in the country. Meanwhile, the operator signed two properties operated under the Crowne Plaza brand in Chihuahua and San Miguel Allende.
Two new-build Holiday Inn Express Hotels entered the Peruvian market.
The first Holiday Inn Express hotel was launched in Paraguay (120 rooms).
IHG is also set to debut the 227-room InterContinental Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
In Colombia, the opening of a Crowne Plaza hotel in Baranquilla will mark the group's 14th property in the country. It will be IHG's second hotel in the destination along the exisiting Holiday Inn Express (154 rooms).

By the end of 2017, the British operator will also open additional hotels across Mexico, Colombia, Chile, the Bahamas and Ecuador.

In June, IHG announced that it is investing $200 million in the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand in the Americas region.

The group currently operates nearly 38,000 rooms under six brands in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.

IHG ranked as the third largest hotel group worldwide in terms of rooms with 5,032 hotels totaling 744,368 rooms as of January 1, 2016

The Mandarin Hotel Group announced the strengthening of its portfolio in the city of Dubai. The opening of this second hotel is expected for the end of 2020.

Mandarin Oriental expects to open a second hotel in downtown Dubai. Located in the wasl Tower, between the 16th and 38th floors of the building (which counts 63 levels), the hotel will offer 257 keys (rooms, suites and apartments), two restaurants, two bars including one with a panoramic view, and a coffee shop.

Several event spaces will also be available, as well as a spa, swimming pools and a fitness center. On the upper floors, the group will additionally offer 144 keys at the Residences at Mandarin Oriental.

This project has been realized in partnership with the real estate management company wasl Asset Management Group.

The group already has a hotel in Dubai: The Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah Beach (264 keys including 8 villas) currently under construction; its opening is expected by the end of 2018.

Mandarin Oriental’s portfolio currently has 29 hotels and 8 residences. The group belongs to the Jardine Matheson Group.

The Ascott Group continues to expand worldwide with the openings of two new Citadines residence hotels in São Paulo in Brazil, in 2017 and 2020.

The hotel residences owner-operator Ascott is setting up in South America with the opening of two new residences operated under the Citadines brand in São Paulo. Citadines VN Sao Paulo Gardens will open in 2017 and will offer 92 keys.

Citadines VN Faria Lima São Paulo will include 122 apartments and will welcome its first guests in 2020. Both will also offer co-working spaces, a gym and a swimming pool.

These two units will be developed in cooperation with the real estate company Vitacon, with which the group also signed an agreement to build a park of 5,000 keys operated under the Citadines brand in São Paulo. Indeed, Ascott said it wishes to expand its business in this dynamic region, especially for business tourism.

The Ascott Limited is a subsidiary of the real estate company CapitaLand and wants to develop 10,000 apartments in South America over the next five years with projects in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile.

As of January 1, 2016, Ascott International ranked 126th in the worldwide ranking of hotel and extended-stay chains, with 67 establishments totaling 9,639 rooms.