InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a franchised agreement with Borealis Hotel Group for Holiday Inn Express® Budapest City Centre.

The 189-room hotel will be the first Holiday Inn Express in Budapest and the first IHG hotel to enter the Hungarian market in over 20 years. Expected to open late 2022, Holiday Inn Express Budapest City Centre will bring simple, smart travel by providing the perfect base camp to rest, relax and recharge, whether for business or leisure. The project will be developed by the company Big4.

The expansion of IHG’s presence in Budapest brings a new offering to the local guests and those visiting for leisure. The hotel offers convenient access to Blaha Lujza square, once home to the original Hungarian National Theatre, which is soon to be transformed into a modern community space. Situated in the liveliest part of the city, the Holiday Inn Express Budapest City Centre connects locals and guests to the heart of the inner city in just 5 minutes. Various restaurants and bars are located in close proximity to the hotel, creating an ultimate insight into the true Hungarian culture.

Mario Maxeiner, Managing Director, Northern Europe, IHG, commented: “Budapest is one of the most popular cities in Europe, which creates great opportunity for the Holiday Inn Express brand entering the market for the first time. In these challenging and unprecedented times, this signing shows the continued trust our Owners and partners place in IHG and our brands. We are excited to partner with Borealis Hotel Group to launch this brand in Hungary – a market with great growth potential.”

Bart van de Kamp, CEO and Founder of Borealis Hotel Group, added: “We are very excited to bring the Holiday Inn Express brand to Hungary. Developed for smart, savvy travellers who are typically on-the-move and need a centrally located basecamp from where they can easily explore the city or go to business meetings, Holiday Inn Express is the perfect addition to Budapest’s city centre. Borealis and IHG have been working on numerous developments across Europe together and I very much value the strong and trusted partnership we have formed over the years. Now we’re looking forward to expanding our partnership in Hungary.”

As IHG’s fastest growing hotel brand, Holiday Inn Express is the first choice for travellers who need a simple place to stay, whilst offering everything a guest may need. Being located in a fast evolving and popular city, Budapest is the place for the brand to take off and open up opportunities for future growth. For owners, the brand offers the ability to drive higher returns by delivering exceptional stays and leveraging IHG’s powerful systems, including IHG® Rewards Club, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes.

IHG currently has 2 hotels (as at 31 March 2020) open in Hungary, InterContinental® Budapest and Holiday Inn® Budapest – Budaors.