InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America Re-Flags Award Winning Hol

InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America Re-Flags Award Winning Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Panama as the Crowne Plaza Panama

    Business Editors/Travel Writers

    MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 2005--

Property's Upscale Amenities and Infrastructure Ideally Suited to Be a First-Class Hotel
    InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) (LSE:IHG) (NYSE:IHG) Latin America announced that the highly acclaimed Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Panama City will be re-branded as the Crowne Plaza Panama. The re-flagging of this property will mark the 20th Crowne Plaza hotel in Latin America.
    The infrastructure of the property and its operations make it ideally suited for a conversion to the first-class Crowne Plaza brand. Having one of the highest customer ratings in the region, the Crowne Plaza Panama is expected to become one of Panama City's most acclaimed properties.
    The 150-room hotel and suites, owned and operated by Bern Hotels & Resorts, who also owns and manages the InterContinental Miramar Panama, is ideally situated in the heart of the banking and business district of Panama City.
    "The re-flagging of this property is something we have been discussing for some time," says Alvaro Diago, Area President of InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America. "Its infrastructure, coupled with the hotel's achievements led us to recommend the change in flags to Mr. (Herman) Bern. In addition to that, the Crowne Plaza brand truly fills an ideal niche in the Panama market."
    "We have always held high standards at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Panama, and are honored to be recognized for our achievements and especially are proud to join the Crowne Plaza brand," adds Herman Bern, President of Bern Hotels & Resorts.
    "The property has enjoyed a great deal of success as a Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, and IHG has honored us with numerous recognitions, including the company's coveted Torchbearer Award for excellence in service, amenities and the region's highest customer service ratings. We are extremely proud of the recognitions, and look forward to even greater successes as a Crowne Plaza hotel," continues Bern.
    Enhancements to the hotel included the remodeling of the suites, lobby and restroom areas. In addition, the hotel will also be offering the Crowne Plaza's "Sleep Advantage" program, which was recently launched with the opening of the Crowne Plaza Curitiba in Curitiba, Brazil. The "Sleep Advantage" program ensures that all guests experience a good night's sleep. Moreover, the Crowne Plaza brand has been known as "The Place to Meet" featuring the following global meeting standards:

--	2-Hour Response Guarantee - An industry-first, two-hour response by Crowne Plaza hotels to Request for Proposals (RFPs)
--	Crowne Meetings Director - A single point of contact throughout the meeting experience who is a senior-level hotel staff member and a Certified Meeting Professional, to ensure the success of an event
--	Meetings Daily Debrief - A daily briefing document with updated totals on expenses including contracted billing, budget consumed to date and estimated final billings

    With 4 meeting rooms and the capacity to host up to 175 people, the hotel provides the perfect venue for business meetings and social functions.
    As part of the InterContinental Hotels Group global portfolio, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has more than 200 hotels in 50 countries, and are located in major urban centers, gateway cities and resort destinations. For reservations at Crowne Plaza properties, visit http://www.crowneplaza.com.

    Note to Editors:

    InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom (LSE:IHG) (NYSE:IHG) (ADRs) is the world's most global hotel company and the largest by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 3,500 hotels and 536,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R)
    Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel IndigoTM, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards, with more than 23 million members worldwide. In addition to this, InterContinental Hotels Group has a controlling interest in Britvic, the second largest soft drinks manufacturer in the UK.
    InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at http://www.ichotelsgroup.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at http://www.priorityclub.com.
    For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit our online Media Centre at http://www.ihgplc.com/media.

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KEYWORD: FLORIDA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRAVEL SOURCE: InterContinental Hotels Group

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