Singapore Tourism Board, 1-10-2006
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), which operates three hotels in Singapore, has welcomed the Singapore government's recent move to release more land for hotel development and says it is planning at least eight more properties within five years.
Tony South, the group's Senior Vice President for development and asset management, said: "It is certainly a positive move to prepare Singapore well ahead to meet the projected increase in number of visitors it hopes to welcome by 2015."
Eight new sites were released recently, the largest number of hotel sites ever put up on the land release programme at one go.
South said the group, which owns the Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental brands, was eyeing a second InterContinental, one or two more Crowne Plazas and two additional Holiday Inns.
It is also keen launch its limited service/convenience brand, Express by Holiday Inn, in Singapore with plans for between four and eight properties in this tier. The Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel, its fourth property in Singapore, will open early 2008.
Said South: "We see the potential to further expand our existing portfolio here across the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands, and potentially, other of our family of hotel brands."
Asked if managing multiple properties of the same brand in one city might be challenging, South said: "This is not new to us and brings many benefits to our guests, investors, staff and other stakeholders.
