INTERCONTINENTAL Hotel Group (IHG) will enter into a series of franchise agreements with international investment company, Pro Invest Group, for the development of 15 Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia.

Pro Invest Group has established a US$150 million fund to build and operate the hotels, which together offer approximately 2,100 rooms in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.

The first hotel, the 190-room Holiday Inn Express North Ryde in Sydney, has been confirmed and is slated to open in the autumn of 2014.

Ronald Barrott, principal of Pro Invest, said: “My previous experience in the UK tells me this partnership with IHG will be a long and successful one, and that there is plenty of opportunity to grow this initial portfolio of 15 Holiday Inn Express hotels to become many more in the years to come.”

IHG Asia, Middle East and Africa CEO, Jan Smits, commented: “The announcement of this investment fund comes at a great time for IHG in Australia. Our current hotel brands here, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, are already well-known and regarded by our hotel owners, and Holiday Inn Express is a welcome addition.”

He added: “We announced our first signing under this brand earlier this year and that hotel will open in Perth, Western Australia, in 2015.”

Separately, IHG is teaming up with Singapore-based Royal Hotels to transform the renowned Double Bay Hotel into the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.

Royal Hotels will undertake a multimillion-dollar refurbishment of the hotel, after which the property will reopen as the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay in January next year.

Facilities at the new hotel will include a ballroom for up to 300 pax, meeting space, an all-day dining restaurant, Club InterContinental, café, lounge and bar, rooftop pool and bar. A ground-floor arcade could be developed into a health club or day spa as well as retail space.

THE Tourism Corporation of Gujarat (TCGL), the state tourism organisation of Gujarat, will next week invite bids to run its accommodation so as to scale up service standards.

The tourism body owns 17 properties across the state under the Toran brand name, ranging from budget to three-star accommodation.

Sanjay Kaul, managing director, TCGL, said: “We are looking at inviting private sector investment in infrastructure in a very big way. The tourism corporation is inviting bids from private players to manage our 17 properties in order to improve the quality of service. Private parties have the expertise to run hotels.”

The state tourism department has also identified spare land that it plans to lease out to private entities for the development of hotels on a long-term basis.

Furthermore, TCGL had approached the government of India to fund a major convention centre in Baroda to be constructed in a public-private partnership, revealed Kaul.

Gujarat’s tourism budget was increased to Rs3.8 billion (US$64.5 million) for 2013-2014, up from Rs2.4 billion for 2012-2013.

Last year, the state welcomed 600,000 foreign tourists. Main source markets were France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the UK and the US.

Kaul said: “The major draws for international tourists are the Kutch region and Gir National park.

“For the year 2013-2014, we expect 12 per cent growth in tourist arrivals. But, even though we are looking to attract more international tourists, the domestic market remains our backbone.”

CATHAY Pacific Airways has announced that it will commence four-times-weekly flights to the Maldives on October 27, subject to government approval.

The route will be operated with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft and run on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Flights depart Hong Kong at 17.15 and arrive at Malé’s Ibrahim Nasir International Airport at 21.25, local time. Return flights leave the Maldives at 23.35 to land in Hong Kong at 08.55 the following day.

Cathay Pacific’s chief executive, John Slosar, said: “The Maldives is the perfect getaway for holidaymakers from Hong Kong and around the world.”

ALL Nippon Airways (ANA) will increase the frequency and capacity of its Tokyo (Narita)-Yangon route beginning September 30, from thrice weekly to daily.

Nyo Nyo Khaing, manager at the Yangon-based ANA office, said that seat capacity on the route would be increased through the deployment of a new 202-seater Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.

“Currently, the schedule is three flights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, using B737-700ER aircraft that can accommodate just 34 seats, comprising 24 business-class seats and 10 economy-class seats,” she said.

“We hope that the new aircraft with more economy seats will attract more passengers between the two countries.”

Flights departing Tokyo’s Narita International Airport leave at 10.30 and arrive in Yangon at 15.10. On the return leg, Tokyo-bound flights take off at 21.45 and touch down in the Japanese capital at 06.50 the next day. Ticket sales for the new daily service have started.

ANA aims to capitalise on the projected increase in demand for both direct and indirect flights between Japan and the rest of Asia, and between North America and Asia.

The airline was among the first to launch direct services between Japan and Myanmar. Its maiden Tokyo-Yangon flight took off in October last year (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 12, 2012).

ANA will also increase seat capacity for flights out of Narita to Chengdu from October 1.

BANGNA Convention Centre in Bangkok will open its doors for business once again on July 31 after a 40 million baht (US$1.3 million) renovation breathed second life into the facility.

Located in Bangna, gateway to Bangkok and home to major industrial zones in Thailand, the convention centre features the 1,000-pax pillarless Ratchaphruek Ballroom as its main event venue.

The facility is equipped with one of the largest banquet kitchens in Thailand, state-of-the-art audio-visual systems, telephone lines, Internet broadband connectivity and on-site banquet and IT specialists to render immediate assistance.

Additional support also comes in the form of Food Camp, a brand new dining concept with assorted options for more casual dining.

Bangna Convention Centre is the first full-fledged convention centre to be managed by international hospitality group, Oakwood.

Peter Lucas, vice president of operations, Oakwood, said: “I am confident that the centre will fast become the venue in Bangkok where successful meetings and events occur.”

JIN Jiang International Hotel Management has sealed a management contract with Liangdu Hotel Management for the Liangdu Jin Jiang Hotspring International Hotel, which is slated to start operations in May 2014.

The hotel is situated in Liupanshui City, a rapidly developing industrial city and one of the most important resource development zones, in Western Guizhou Province.

Liupanshui City is also a major rail hub and the hotel is located 25 minutes from the railway station, as well as a 10-minute drive from the city centre.

Bernold O Schroeder, CEO, Jin Jiang International Hotel Management, said: “We look forward to the opening of the Liangdu Jin Jiang Hotspring International Hotel, which will be the first Jin Jiang hotel to open in Liupanshui, thus building our brand presence, in addition to joining our growing portfolio of hotels in South-western China.

“This thriving industrial city attracts many businesses and the opening of this new luxury hotel gives us the opportunity to showcase our extensive MICE capabilities and reputable hospitality service standards, in particular, for the city’s growing number of business travellers.”

Liangdu Jin Jiang Hotspring International Hotel will feature 301 guestrooms and suites, a range of meeting and conference rooms, a 501m² multi-functional hall, a Chinese and Western restaurant offering gourmet food with 24 private dining rooms.

Other facilities include a fitness centre, swimming pool and spa, located within the adjoining podium building.