InterContinental returns to Belgrade

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with International CG d.p. Beograd (ICG) to bring its InterContinental hotel brand back to Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

ICG (formerly known as Generalexport) owns the 393 room five star hotel which the company will privatise by the end of 2006. Following the agreement with IHG, the company has committed 22 million euros to renovate the property to meet IHG standards.

From 1 November 2005, the hotel will be licensed under the InterContinental brand, further strengthening IHG’s presence in the region. The property was developed by ICG and was originally opened in 1979 as an InterContinental hotel until the Balkan war in the 1990s.

Capitalising on Belgrade’s resurgence as the commercial hub of the Balkans and Serbia’s economic growth, the hotel aims to attract both business and leisure travellers. It is located right in the heart of the city’s business district, next to the Sava Centre, one of the largest convention spaces in Eastern Europe. It will offer guests all the facilities and luxuries expected of an InterContinental hotel including a spa and wellness centre, excellent meeting space and innovative dining.

Jennifer Fox, Chief Operating Officer for Europe of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts said, “The re-opening of the InterContinental hotel in Belgrade is another important step in developing and expanding our InterContinental brand portfolio across Eastern Europe, an increasingly important business and leisure destination. We are delighted to continue our 27 year relationship with ICG and its commitment to a significant renovation programme for hotel in Belgrade.”

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