InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the signing of Holiday Inn Stavropol - the first internationally branded hotel in the city. 

IHG will manage the hotel on behalf of new owner Metropolia 26.

Set to open in 2017, the 242-room newly constructed hotel will feature the Holiday Inn brand’s signature Open Lobby with a dining area, media lounge and bar as well as state-of-the-art meeting facilities including five meeting rooms and a ballroom.

The Holiday Inn Open Lobby is an innovative approach and in-hotel experience for guests, which has transformed the traditional hotel lobby format by combining the front desk, lobby, restaurant, bar, lounge area and business centre into one open, cohesive space, while refreshing the design to give it a more contemporary feel.

The concept has been established by understanding how people use space at home in order to give guests the most flexibility, whether they’re looking to eat, relax, work, or have fun in one integrated space.

The hotel will be part of a multi-development project in an area close to the city’s cultural hub.

It is anticipated the hotel will meet increasing hospitality demand from the area’s surrounding corporate business.

Robert Shepherd, IHG chief development officer, Europe, said: “We’re excited and particularly proud to be the first international hotel chain to develop in Stavropol. 

“We’re also delighted to be working with Metropolia for the first time.  Russia is a priority market for us and this signing is another step forward for the Holiday Inn brand there.”

IHG recently signed a management agreement with new owner LLC UK Platinum to open Holiday Inn St Petersburg – Kremenchugskaya.

The 170 room hotel due to open in 2017 is located close to the Moskovsky railway station - the city’s main connection to Moscow.

With over 1,200 hotels worldwide, the Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts brand is the most widely recognised hotel brand in the world.

The Holiday Inn brand provides the services that business travellers need, while also offering a comfortable atmosphere where all people can relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming pools, fitness centres and comfortable lounges.

There are currently 282 Holiday Inn hotels in Europe with a further 35 in the pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.