IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) today unveiled the world"s largest Holiday Inn, the 1,224-room Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central, with the opening of Sands Cotai Central, the latest Sands China Ltd. integrated resort on Macao"s Cotai Strip.

"Holiday Inn is proud to offer a truly unique experience in Macao," said Keith Barr, Chief Executive Officer of IHG Greater China. "With three people checking into a Holiday Inn every second globally, we"ve established ourselves as one of the world"s most well-known hotel brands, and have the expertise to provide business and leisure guests with an unforgettable experience, and the comfort to sit back, relax and be themselves, at Sands Cotai Central."

Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central brings Holiday Inn"s friendly service, affordable comfort and convenience to guests wanting to experience the adventure, fun and fortune of the Cotai Strip. The largest Holiday Inn in the world features all the benefits of an integrated resort destination, including an extensive array of dining, retail, leisure and entertainment options, in addition to comprehensive meeting and event facilities.

Guestrooms

The impressive 1,224 guestrooms, which include 65 suites, ensure both leisure and business travellers can find a room to suit their needs. All rooms and suites are decorated in a contemporary style with custom-designed furniture, feature floor-to-ceiling windows and offer a range of facilities, amenities and services. The deluxe rooms and suites overlook the city, providing inspiring views. Guests can choose from among a wealth of options, including Double-double twin rooms, an ideal choice for families or large groups. Suites start at nearly 700 sq. ft. and go up to the 1,700 sq. ft., two-bedroom Chairman Suite, equipped with its own dedicated media centre / home theatre and massage room.

Technology lovers will feel right at home, as all guestrooms feature 32-inch LED televisions with video-on-demand, and DVD and CD players available upon request, as well as high-speed wireless Internet access.

Holiday Inn guests are encouraged to sit back, relax and be themselves, with rooms that provide all the comforts and conveniences of a home-away-from-home: a spacious work desk and ergonomic chair, a fully stocked mini bar, coffee and tea-making facilities, iron and ironing board, hairdryer, slippers and bathrobes, separate shower and bathtub with multi-functional shower head and an in-room safe. Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central features 24-hour room service and access to additional 24-hour dining options only a short walk away. Guests also have convenient access to the ample Pool Deck and to the Health Club, featuring a fully-equipped gymnasium, Jacuzzi, and sauna.

Dining Options

Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central guests can experience a wide selection of world-class dining prepared by top chefs. The hotel"s Lobby Lounge and Pool Café offer opportunities to relax and meet friends in a casual, modern and inviting atmosphere. The 11 restaurants and lounges throughout Sands Cotai Central allow guests to go on exciting culinary journeys while conveniently charging the meals back to the hotel room: an all-day international buffet, an international food court and a variety of quality restaurants featuring some of the most popular cuisines including Mediterranean, northern and southern Chinese, Pan-Asian, Macanese and Indian. Unique decor, like private dining rooms inspired by eight ancient Chinese dynasties at Dynasty 8, will leave guests with the impression that they"ve been transported to a far-off, exotic destination.

Meetings and Events

Holiday Inn guests have access to the 214,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting and event space at Sands Cotai Central. Facilities include a 52,000 sq. ft. pillar-free grand ballroom and nine junior ballrooms, all divisible with soundproofed partitions and boasting the latest audio-visual and technical facilities, like satellite and video conferencing, high-speed Internet access and simultaneous translation services. A fully-equipped Business Centre offers a wide range of secretarial and administrative services.

As part of a fully integrated resort city on the Cotai Strip, Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central offers its guests access to all of Sands Cotai Central"s entertainment, retail, dining, gaming and conventions, as well as its interconnected properties across the street: The Venetian Macao and The Plaza Macao. Gaming excitement is readily available at two uniquely themed casinos at Sands Cotai Central, Himalaya and Pacifica. Visitors to Shoppes Cotai Central, as part of the larger Shoppes Cotai, will have access to over 600 retails outlets, for the ultimate luxury duty-free shopping experience in the region, complete with amazing Silk Road-themed live entertainment. And Macao"s biggest and most exclusive entertainment events are waiting to be enjoyed at the 15,000-seat CotaiArena and at the luxury Venetian Theatre, hosting the most famous names in sports, music and stage.

Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central is just a five minute drive from Macau International Airport and the CotaiJet ferry service brings visitors to the property from Hong Kong, Kowloon and Hong Kong International Airport. The hotel is also connected by complimentary buses to and from all arrival points in Macao, including ferry terminals and the mainland China border. Macao"s UNESCO heritage sites and city centre are all within easy reach, and the concierge is always happy to suggest an itinerary.

Management

Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central is in very capable hands with Troy Hickox at the helm as General Manager. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Hickox is of mixed Australian and Chinese descent, and has considered Hong Kong home for the past 28 years, making him a natural fit with Macao"s East meets West heritage. He has 18 years of hotel opening and management experience with multi-award-winning internationally branded hotels in Asia and the United States. Hickox was also directly involved in the opening of the 3,000-suite The Venetian Macao and its exclusive Paiza Club. He is a graduate of both the Swiss Hotel Association colleges and Le Cordon Bleu Ecole de Cuisine, and a post-graduate alumnus of Oxford Brookes University Business School in the UK and Cornell University"s School of Hotel Administration.

"I"m delighted to oversee the opening of the world"s largest Holiday Inn with such an engaging and enthusiastic team," Hickox said. "We are looking forward to bringing a new international brand to the Cotai Strip and providing Holiday Inn"s world-renowned friendly service, which focuses on real world needs, to our guests at Sands Cotai Central."

About IHG^®

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline.

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InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

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