Earlier this month, IHG Hotels and Resorts signed two properties in Saudi Arabia – Holiday Inn and Suites Taif and Staybridge Suites Taif.
For both of these properties, it has partnered with the Al Jumaiah Group. The two properties are expected to open in Q4 2025 in Al Shafa in Taif which is located 2,500m above sea level.
The dual signing of these hotels will add 280 rooms to IHG’s portfolio within the country.
Holiday Inn and Suites Taif is situated in the Al Shafa Mountains. It will have standalone chalets and several amenities including an all-day dining speciality restaurant and lobby lounge. The resort will also have a pool and fitness centre, retail shops, a cinema theater, and a ballroom.
Staybridge Suites Taif meanwhile is nestled amid the mountains of Al Shafa, Taif. Staybridge Suites Taif will feature standalone villas, studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. This resort will also feature an all-day dining and a specialty restaurant, a fitness center and a pool.
Abdulaziz Al Jumaiah, CEO of Al Jumaiah Group, said, “We are pleased to further strengthen our partnership with IHG Hotels and Resorts through the debut of Holiday Inn and Suites and Staybridge Suites in Taif. We value the continuation of increasing our investment portfolio and strengthening this partnership. Our company has previously partnered with IHG to manage and operate two hotel projects, Crowne Plaza Jeddah Al Salam, and Crowne Plaza Riyadh Al Waha.”
IHG currently operates 40 hotels across five brands in Saudi Arabia, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, voco and Staybridge Suites. It has a pipeline of 32 hotels due to open in the next two-five years.
Haitham Mattar, managing director for India, Middle East and Africa at IHG Hotels and Resorts, added: “We are pleased to strengthen relationship with our existing partner, Al Jumaiah Group and bring two brands from our essential and suites offering to the beautiful city of Taif. Having opened first internationally branded hotel in Taif – InterContinental Taif – decades ago, we are proud to continue to strengthen our footprint and bring new brands to the city as it grows into a prominent tourism destination in the country.
“Saudi Arabia is a priority market for IHG – the continuous growth of our global portfolio within the kingdom reflects our unwavering commitment to the vision of the leadership of the country and emphasizes our dedication to support the Kingdom’s ambitious transformation.”
IHG has also been developing its luxury portfolio within the kingdom. Earlier this year, it unveiled plans to open its first Middle Eastern Regent Hotel in Saudi Arabia. Set to open by mid-2024 along the waterfront in Jeddah, Regent Jeddah will offer views of the Corniche and Jeddah’s Formula 1 racetrack.