InterContinental Hotel Group’s boutique brand Hotel Indigo is to open its first operation in Barcelona and its second in the UK city of Birmingham.
The 77-room Hotel Indigo Barcelona-Plaza Catalunya is in the centre of the city and will operate under a 22-year franchise agreement with Empresa Casa de Lenguas.
Hotel Indigo Birmingham-Waterloo Street is in the Colmore business district and will be a 61-room hotel managed by Rustic Pine Developments.
There are nine Hotel Indigo properties in Europe, with 11 in the pipeline. Globally, there are 46 Hotel Indigo hotels and 52 due to open in the next three to five years.
IHG chief development officer in Europe, Robert Shepherd, said 2012 has been a strong year for Hotel Indigo signings in the region. Openings included the company’s fourth operation in Germany, Hotel Indigo Dusseldorf Victoriaplatz, and its first in Israel, a 92-room property which will open in Tel Aviv next year.
In a statement, Shepherd said the brand was proving popular with developers in Europe because of its suitability for conversion properties, “which are easier to finance than new-build properties, and can become operational sooner.”
