IHG to open fourth hotel in Columbia and other international hotel news

IHG to open fourth hotel in Columbia
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to launch its fourth hotel in Columbia, with the opening of the Holiday Inn Express hotel & suites Medellin. The 96-room property will be situated in a mixed use development called La Strada including residential and commercial properties as well as restaurants and shops. The hotel will include four meeting rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre and a restaurant. IHG area president for Latin America Alvaro Diago said: "We are delighted to open this contemporary property in the thriving city of Medellin. This hotel will add to the tremendous economic growth and increase in tourism that Medellin has been experiencing."

Mandarin Oriental to launch beach resort in Costa Rico Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is to launch a new beach resort in Costa Rica with the opening of the Residences at Playa Manzaillo in the country's Guanacaste Province in 2009. The 130-room resort will lie within a 538-acre development called Rancho Manzanillo, which will include residences, beach and golf villas and exclusive private homes. Facilities will include a spa with 14 treatment rooms as well as a fitness centre, tennis courts, swimming pools and an 18-hole golf course. The resort will also feature a number of dining outlets including three restaurants, lounges and bars.

Starwood to cut trans fats in 400 US hotelsStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced plans to eliminate all artificial trans fats from the food served at more than 400 of its hotels in North American by the end of the year. Trans fats, which are made when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden them for baking or a longer shelf-life, may increase the risk of heart disease, strokes and diabetes. Starwood will remove trans fats from the food served at its operated restaurants, banquets, catering, room service, bars and lounges at hotels in the USA, Canada and the Caribbean. Trans fats will also be cut from beverage operations.

Accor to increase presence in Russia and IndonesiaAccor plans to increase its presence in Russia with the launch additional Novotel and Ibis hotels in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Sverdlovsk region, central Urals. An agreement for the construction of one Novotel hotel has been signed, with the property scheduled to open in 2008; while an Ibis hotel is planned to open in March 2009. The construction for the second Ibis hotel is currently under negotiation. Accor also announced plans increase the number of hotels in Indonesia to 50 by 2009. As of June 2007 the company runs 36 hotels in the country. The new hotels include a Mercure in Surabaya; a Novotel in Balikpapan; as well as the Novotel Nusa Dua Hotel & Residence in Bali.

By Kerstin Kühn

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