InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America today announced that Luis Fernando Estefan has been appointed Director of Development for the Andean Region (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela), Central America, as well as assisting IHG with its development plans in the Caribbean. Based out of Bogota, Colombia, and reporting to Alvaro Diago, Area President of InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America, Estefan will be responsible for new development and conversions, franchises and management contracts for all IHG brands within the Andean region.

Brazil-based Ronald Arteaga, Director of Development for the remainder of IHG Latin America’s properties in the South Cone, will manage development for Brazil, as well as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.

IHG’s brands in Latin America include InterContinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Hotels & Suites, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn SunSpree and Staybridge Suites.

Prior to his appointment, Estefan held the General Manager position for both the Radisson Royal hotel and Hotels Royal in Colombia.

“Luis has significant management and finance experience, which will help in the future expansion of IHG in this part of the continent,” says Diago. “In addition, he has demonstrated his wide-array of hotel expertise having opened and operated several highly regarded properties in Colombia.”

“I am honored to be a part of InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America,” says Estefan. “IHG is the most important international hotel group in Latin America, and I look forward to furthering these excellent brands within my area of responsibility, an area in which InterContinental has been a major force for decades.”

InterContinental Hotels Group has more than doubled its portfolio of hotels in Latin America over the past five years. The portfolio includes 19 InterContinental hotels, 6 Crowne Plaza hotels, 27 Holiday Inn hotels, and a Staybridge Suites hotel, spread across 16 countries in the region.

“We look to Luis to continue our push to expand in the area,” concludes Diago. “We know that we have the most respected brands in the world. That, coupled with our long-standing relationships in the area should afford us significant opportunities for growth.”
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