HG (InterContinental Hotels Group), [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] today announced the signing of the Holiday Inn Express in the city of Rio Branco, Brazil. The new-build property is slated to open in November 2013. The hotel will be owned by Inter-Oceanica Hotelaria e Turismo Ltda., under a franchise agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.

Upon opening, the seven-story Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco will feature 110 guestrooms, four meeting rooms, a business center, fitness center, indoor pool and plenty of guest parking.

“The signing of the Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco is in line with IHG’s strategy of establishing a larger presence within Brazil, one of our key markets for development and a business and leisure travel hotspot,” said Jim Anhut, chief development officer, IHG, Americas. “IHG has its roots in Latin America, particularly Brazil, with the first InterContinental opening in Belem, Brazil in 1946. This signing continues our focus on development in this very important country for business and leisure travelers.”

The Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco will be located in downtown Rio Branco within close proximity to key tourist destinations, including the city’s government sectors, as well as shopping and entertainment.

The city of Rio Branco is the capital of the northwest Brazilian State of Acre, which borders Peru and Bolivia.  Situated in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, Rio Branco is expected to experience significant growth over the next five to 10 years due to the high production of rubber, along with its emerging timber and cattle industry. Another reason for growth in the city is the construction of the Transoceanica Highway, which will connect Rio Branco to the two main ports in Peru and will serve Brazil as a gateway to the Pacific Ocean.

“We are very pleased to sign a Holiday Inn Express in an emerging city like Rio Branco,” said Alvaro Diago, chief operating officer, IHG, Latin America and Caribbean. “The hotel is an ideal fit for this growing market that will see an uptick in travelers over the coming years with its fresh, clean and uncomplicated features that afford guests comfort, convenience and a good value.”

The hotel will feature the complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar with a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee.  The SimplySmart™ shower will incorporate a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products.  Guests will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

IHG, noted as the top hotel chain in Latin America, meassured by total number of rooms in the region, by a recent Latin Trade magazine survey,  has almost 200 hotels in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for 65 years. IHG has hotels situated in nearly every key market throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

City.Mobi

Also in Brazil today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to São Paulo.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

SaoPaulo.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.