IHG brings Crowne Plaza to the Algarve

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the owner of the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand, has announced the signing of a franchise agreement with the Cerro Grande investment group for the new Crowne Plaza Albufeira – Algarve. The new-build hotel will open in the autumn of 2008 and comprises 113 guest rooms and 50 villas, offering a stylish beach resort experience.

The hotel will offer all the amenities expected from the Crowne Plaza brand, including two restaurants: the all day restaurant located inside the hotel (seating 120) and the fine dining restaurant next to the villas (seating 40). Additional facilities include indoor and outdoor pools with a poolside grill bar, kids club, fitness club and a 600m2 spa area where guests can unwind. Business visitors, meanwhile, will benefit from the extensive 1,000m2 of meeting space.

Situated close to the old city of Albufeira, adjacent to Albufeira’s marina and next to the Algarve’s most important golf courses, the property is expected to appeal to both leisure and business travellers. The Algarve – Portugal’s most popular tourist region - enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate throughout the year and boasts miles of white-sand beaches, as well as towns and villages rich in history and culture.

Hylko Versteeg, IHG’s Director of Development for Spain and Portugal, commented: “We are delighted to be further demonstrating our commitment to the Portuguese market with the introduction of our international Crowne Plaza brand to the Algarve. We are extremely proud to be working with Cerro Grande on this exciting development and believe that the new Crowne Plaza Albufeira-Algarve will offer a luxurious and unique stylish beach resort experience which will strongly appeal to both leisure and business guests”.

António Secca de Oliveira, CEO of Cerro Grande, added: “We are extremely proud to be working with IHG to bring the Crowne Plaza brand to Albufeira. The hotel’s contemporary design, professional service and comprehensive range of facilities will undoubtedly appeal to the discerning traveller and will provide a welcome boost to Portugal’s upscale hotel offerings”.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at priorityclub.com.