HG, one of the world’s largest hotel groups by number of rooms, and Latin America’s most experienced international hotel company, today announced the InterContinental Santiago has unveiled its new club tower.

The 16-story addition to the existing property features 81-guestrooms, two swimming pools, a VIP lounge, a Lobby Café, four restaurants and 20 meeting rooms totaling 27,200 square feet of meeting and function space, making the 377-room InterContinental Santiago one of the largest convention centers in the country. The hotel also boasts a 17,000 square foot green living wall in the west façade of the building. The vertical garden, which faces two important avenues in the Financial Center of Santiago and features three different species of plants, provides a beautiful visual statement to passersby.

Ideally situated in ‘El Golf’ area of Las Condes, the hotel is in the heart of Santiago’s financial district and a short distance from exclusive restaurants, upscale shops and top attractions such as San Cristobal Hill, Plaza de Armas and La Moneda Presidential Palace.

“This striking new tower furthers the property’s appeal as a true meeting and convention destination,” said Jim Anhut, Chief Development Officer, IHG, Americas. “With steady economic growth, a strong commitment to free trade and foreign investment, and sustained advancement in the tourism industry, Chile is one of South America’s most attractive markets for lodging development.”

“The owners of the InterContinental Santiago have raised the bar of excellence within Santiago’s hospitality industry with the addition of the new Club tower,” added Alvaro Diago, COO, IHG, Latin America and Caribbean. “Already recognized by its stunning living wall, the new tower adds yet another new dimension to this hotel. It is a true landmark of the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand.”

Along with its flagship InterContinental Santiago, IHG has a strong presence in Chile with nine properties currently open in the country. IHG also recently announced it has signed a 20-year agreement with Chile-based Inmobiliaria Punta Piqueros, S.A. for a new-build InterContinental hotel in Punta Piqueros, within the district of Concon, in north central Chile, and in close proximity to Viña del Mar, one of the country’s most fashionable resort areas.

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is IHG’s most prestigious hotel brand, located in major cities in over 60 countries worldwide, offering business and leisure travelers the highest level of service and facilities. There are currently 171 InterContinental hotels across the globe with 19 InterContinental hotels located in Latin America and the Caribbean. The InterContinental Maracaibo in Venezuela and the InterContinental Mendoza in Argentina are the most recent properties to open in South America. The InterContinental Nordelta Buenos Aires, located in the northern area of Buenos Aires, is set to open in mid-2011.

IHG has nearly 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