InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a new-build, 199-room Crowne Plaza hotel in Medellin, Colombia.

The Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand is one of the fastest growing hotel brands in the world, with nearly 400 hotels open across more than 60 countries.

The hotel will be located in Medellin’s upscale El Poblado neighbourhood, occupying one of two towers in the Palmanova luxury, mixed-use development and connected to the Palma Real Multiplaza.

This will be IHG’s third property in Medellin, joining the InterContinental Medellin and the Holiday Inn Express Medellin.

There are nine hotels open and seven hotels in the development pipeline in Colombia across IHG’s InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express brands.

Slated to open in 2018, the Crowne Plaza Medellin hotel is owned by Grupo Contempo, which also owns the Holiday Inn Express Bogota.

Grupo Contempo plans to develop several other IHG-branded hotels, including three Holiday Inn Express hotels expected to open by 2015 in Bogotá’s Zona Financiera, Cartagena and Barranquilla.

Joel Eisemann, chief development officer, the Americas at IHG commented: “Colombia is an important market for IHG in Latin America.

“We have solidified our presence in Colombia by partnering with outstanding groups such as Grupo Contempo.

“This is the fifth project we have signed with Grupo Contempo, and we are looking forward to continuing to grow with them.

“We are extremely enthused about this Crowne Plaza project, which will feature a modern design that is in line with the new, fresh image and direction in which the Crowne Plaza brand is going.”

The Crowne Plaza Medellin is situated at the foothills of the mountain range and offers sweeping views of the city, including a 360° view from the pool bar located on the top floor.

The hotel will feature a ground floor restaurant and lobby bar, a flexible 4,500 sq. ft. ballroom and about 1,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, as well as signature amenities such as the fitness centre, business centre and the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage program that encompasses the entire sleep experience – from services provided by a well-trained staff to innovative products that create a restful environment.
 
IHG has been a leading international hotel company continuously operating in Latin America for more than 65 years.

There are 88 IHG-branded hotels open in the region and 27 more hotels in the development pipeline, eight of which will open in Colombia in the cities of Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cartagena, Cucuta, and Yopal.