The FINANCIAL — InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on May 6 announced the signing of management agreements with Al Baraka General Trading and Contracting Company, owned by leading Kuwaiti conglomerate Bukhamseen Holding Group, to develop three hotels in Kuwait.
Under the agreements, IHG will manage a new 120-room InterContinental hotel and 232-room Crowne Plaza hotel in Farwaniya, Kuwait; whilst the existing Crowne Plaza Kuwait will be converted into a 336-room Holiday Inn, according to IHG.
In addition, a 20-year renewal was signed for the 189-room Holiday Inn Kuwait Salmiyah. The four agreements, together with Holiday Inn Maadi Cairo which opened last year, will see IHG manage more than 1,000 rooms across three brands with the Bukhamseen family: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, and Holiday Inn.
Located in Kuwait City, a short five-minute drive from Kuwait International Airport, the new build InterContinental Kuwait Farwaniya, Crowne Plaza Kuwait Farwaniya and converted Holiday Inn Kuwait Farwaniya will all be part of one hotel complex.
When it opens in 2018, InterContinental Kuwait Farwaniya will be in a prime position to cater to both business and leisure travellers. The hotel will feature two restaurants and seven meeting rooms, and guests can relax at the leisure centre or at the hotel’s Club Lounge during their downtime.
A trusted name for business travellers around the world, Crowne Plaza Kuwait Farwaniya will feature six meeting rooms; business services and facilities including a 24-hour business centre and an Executive Club; and a fitness centre for guests to re-energise at, outside of their professional engagements. Guests can also dine in at the hotel’s two restaurants.
There will be 22 meeting facilities at Holiday Inn Kuwait Farwaniya, and a wider selection of food and beverage will also be available at the hotel’s ten restaurants. Guests staying at both Crowne Plaza Kuwait Farwaniya and Holiday Inn Kuwait Farwaniya can access the shared leisure centre, and enjoy the major shopping centres located just a short walk away. Both hotels will open their doors to guests in 2016.
Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said: “The Bukhamseen Group has been one of our most valued partners in the Middle East since we opened one of our first Holiday Inn hotels in the region with them more than 30 years ago. We are delighted to be working even more closely with them to expand our presence in Kuwait with these three hotels. We are also pleased to be able to continue delivering great guest experiences at Holiday Inn Kuwait Salmiyah.”
Emad Bukhamseen, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Al Baraka General Trading and Contracting Company, said: “Kuwait’s popularity as a destination continues to grow and we are seeing a consistent flow of business travellers. With the completion of the new airport terminal next year expected to triple the airport’s capacity, we are confident visitor arrivals will increase. It is a good time to be building on the success of Crowne Plaza Kuwait Farwaniya and expanding our presence with a three-hotel complex will help in that. IHG has proven itself to deliver on its promises and we look forward to welcoming more guests through the doors of our hotels when they open.”
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