LONDON—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with Al Majd Al Arabiah Company for what will be the world’s largest Holiday Inn hotel. Holiday Inn Makkah Abraaj Al Tayseer is due to open in The Holy City of Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the end of this year.
Comprised of 5,154 rooms across five towers, Holiday Inn Makkah Abraaj Al Tayseer will take the site of the current Abraaj Al Tayseer pilgrim accommodation and open in phases. Nearly 1,650 rooms across two towers are due to open by the end of this year. The remaining 3,500 rooms are slated to open over the following three years.
The hotel will offer guests views of the Al-Masjid al-?ar?m (The Grand Mosque) approximately 2,950 feet away. Each tower will house one large all-day dining restaurant, where menus will be tailored for guests traveling in groups. The two towers opening this year will also feature meeting spaces, fitness centers and a medical clinic.
“As we celebrate our 40th year in Saudi Arabia, we are all the more focused on continuing our expansion in this key market,” said Pascal Gauvin, COO, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG. “With religious travel growing, and the government set to improve infrastructure in line with this, there is a need for more branded accommodation in the Holy Cities of Makkah and Medina. IHG is looking to play its part by opening more quality hotels to cater to the ever-growing number of pilgrims undertaking Hajj and Umrah each year.
“Holiday Inn is one of the world’s most recognized hotels brands, and it’s fitting we are opening our largest Holiday Inn in Makkah,” he added. “We look forward to receiving guests at Holiday Inn Makkah Abraaj Al Tayseer and are confident they will find their stay comfortable and welcoming—a key feature of Holiday Inn hotels across the globe.”
Selman Al Fares, representing Al Majd Al Arabiah Company, added: “Saudi Arabia has a distinctive tourism landscape, and Makkah is at the core of this for both local and international travelers. IHG as an operator understands the market and, during our years of partnership, they have demonstrated their credentials as a strong partner with whom we are happy and comfortable to embark on this ambitious project. This is a milestone development for us, and we’re confident Holiday Inn Makkah Abraaj Al Tayseer will bring The Holy City’s hospitality to another level. We look forward to the opening of the first two towers later this year.”
IHG is one of the largest international hotel groups in Saudi Arabia with 25 hotels (5,900 rooms) operating across three brands: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn. The company has nine properties in the pipeline due to open in the next three to five years including Hotel Indigo Riyadh King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), the first Hotel Indigo property in the Middle East, and the world’s second largest Holiday Inn, also due to open in Makkah in 2016.