EVEN(TM) Hotels Announces First Property Signing

AsiaNet 51144

ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 24, 2012 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

    - Wellness Brand Will Fill Unmet Demand for Healthier Travel in New York

City

    IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG; NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] today

announces the signing of the first EVEN(TM) Hotels property which will be

located in New York City, with ownership group CWC, Inc. The IHG-managed hotel

will be located at 219 E 44th Street in the heart of midtown Manhattan, and

will be a flagship property for the brand. The hotel will be a new build

scheduled to open in late 2014. The hotel will feature 23 guestroom floors and

230 guestrooms, dedicated meeting areas, and indoor and outdoor exercise and

eating spaces for an impressive 87,000 square feet in total space.

    "This is another important first for IHG. By developing our portfolio of

preferred brands in line with emerging consumer preferences, we are meeting the

needs of a new type of guest who's looking for hotels with an intrinsic focus

on wellness in terms of food, work, exercise and rest," said Richard Solomons,

chief executive officer, IHG. "New York City is an ideal location, being one of

the most health-minded cities in the U.S. - so it will provide the EVEN Hotels

brand with the right exposure to its target guest, the healthier-minded

traveler."

    With over 50.9 million visitors in 2011 alone, New York City is one of the

strongest markets for the EVEN Hotels' target guest, and perfectly complements

the four priority areas of the EVEN Hotels experience - eat, work, exercise and

rest. New York City was ranked one of the top 50 healthiest cities in the U.S.

in 2012, and it's no surprise with more than 1,700 parks, playgrounds, and

recreation facilities across the five boroughs providing multiple opportunities

for exercise. New York City has also led the charge on changes aimed at a

healthier city experience, including: banning the sale of sugary drinks over 16

oz., posting all calorie counts on menus and menu boards and banning the use of

artificial trans-fats in foods.

    "New York City is a key part of EVEN Hotels' distribution strategy and

provides strong market exposure to healthier-minded people both living and

traveling to New York City, looking for a holistic wellness hotel experience,"

said Kirk Kinsell, president, the Americas, IHG. "We are excited about the

start of this new owner relationship with CWC Inc. as it brings together IHG's

branding and management expertise with CWC Inc.'s strong presence in the New

York City real estate market."

    EVEN Hotels meets the large and growing customer demand for a healthier

travel experience and is another industry first for IHG. EVEN Hotels uniquely

provides solutions for all aspects of travelers' wellness needs in the areas of

food, work, exercise and rest - no other brand can do this under one roof.

Joining IHG's existing seven hotel brands, EVEN Hotels will be a key pillar in

IHG's portfolio of preferred brands and in the long term, a key driver in

market share growth in the U.S.

    IHG expects to sign 100 EVEN Hotels in the U.S. in the next five years

under managed and franchised agreements in key markets including New York,

Washington D.C. and San Francisco. IHG plans to announce additional locations

over the next few months and to open the first EVEN hotel later on in 2013. To

learn more about EVEN Hotels, please visit our brand website at

http://evenhotels.com.

    About CWC, Inc.

    Frank Chan and Lance Steinberg have been in business together for over 20

years. Over the life-span of their business, they've created a substantial

300,000 square foot portfolio of owned and managed multi-tenant commercial

space.

    Notes to Editors:

    IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global

organisation with nine hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels &

Resorts, Hotel Indigo(R), Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R)

Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood

Suites(R), as well as our two newest brands, EVEN(TM) Hotels and HUALUXE(TM)

Hotels & Resorts. IHG also manages Priority Club(R) Rewards, the world's first

and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 67 million members worldwide.

    IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,500 hotels and more than

666,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than

1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000

people into additional roles across its estate over the next few years.

    InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is

incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

    Visit http://www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and

http://www.priorityclub.com for more on Priority Club Rewards. For our latest

news, visit http://www.ihg.com/media, http://www.twitter.com/ihgplc,

http://www.facebook.com/ihg or http://www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

    Source: IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)