Holiday Inn Bilbao will open in March 2012 following a fast track conversion from a Barcelo hotel. The 201 room hotel features over 1400m2 of meeting space and a large fitness gym. The hotel’s urban location is attractive to business and leisure travellers alike, conveniently located 500 metres from the old city and 1km from the new city centre.

Hylko Versteeg, director of development for Spain and Portugal said the signing capped a successful year for IHG in the region.

“We’re pleased to further establish our presence in the region. The signing in Bilbao follows on from successful conversion signings in Madrid and Porto last year. Holiday Inn offers an attractive rebranding opportunity for owners, particularly in tough economic conditions, as it drives premium returns for owners by ensuring high visibility. This recent conversion builds our presence in Bilbao itself – we opened a Holiday Inn Express opened at Bilbao airport 18 months ago.” 

Mr Versteeg said Holiday Inn Bilbao will attract business and leisure travellers who recognise the brand’s consistency and great service.

“Bilbao is Spain’s seventh largest city, and one of the largest corporate and industrial cities in the country, attracting large numbers of business travellers. The city’s revitalisation over the past decade has also contributed to an increase in leisure travellers. Holiday Inn Bilbao will offer the consistent great service at an affordable price that Holiday Inn guests experience in over 100 countries worldwide.”

The Holiday Inn brand family is the largest and most recognised hotel brand in the world. Its rapid growth places it as the largest hotel brand in the world with 420,515 rooms in 100 countries.

IHG has 738 Holiday Inn (and Holiday Inn Express) hotels in the global pipeline.