These deals confirm IHG's commitment to further developing its HI and HI Express brands, in Latin America, as well as its plans for expansion throughout the country of Brazil.

IHG today announced that it has signed several agreements with developers to build four new properties by the end of 2008 in Brazil, in the cities of Manaus, Natal, Foz do Iguaçu and Aparecida do Norte.

"Brazil is an extremely important region for IHG since it is the sixth most populated country in the world. Brazil's continuous economic growth fuels its massive business and tourism industries, which provides tremendous room for growth for all our brands, including Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express," said Alvaro Diago, area president, Latin America, IHG.

The 240-room Holiday Inn Manaus will be located in the "Free Zone" District next to the Shopping Studio 5 Festival Mall and the Studio 5 Convention Center. The 12-story hotel will feature a business center, several meeting rooms, gymnasium, restaurant, swimming pool and ample parking. Located in the middle of the Capital of the Amazon, the hotel will be perfectly suited for both business and leisure travelers. Holiday Inn Manaus will be owned and developed by Ypuã Empreendimentos Imobiliários (a partnership between Construtora São José and RALC Empreendimentos) and will be managed by IHG's Americas operations division, The Hotel Management Group, under a management contract. Construtora São José also owns the Holiday Inn Parque Anhembi in Sao Paulo and the Holiday Inn Salvador Bahia, in northeastern Brazil.

From a small river fort built in 1669 through the wealthy days of the rubber boom, Manaus today is the sight of a modern city and is a destination for the thousands who come to explore the Amazon, the rainforest and view the wildlife activity along the rivers.

Ideally situated in the downtown area of Foz do Iguaçu, the Holiday Inn Express Foz do Iguaçu will be owned by LN Empreendimentos Imobiliários under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. The four-story hotel will have 126 guestrooms and will be located within driving distance to the renowned Iguaçu National Park, one of the most beautiful ecological reserves in the world, with 225 thousand acres and recognized by UNESCO as a Natural Heritage of Humanity. LN Empreendimentos Imobiliários Ltda. also owns three Holiday Inn Express properties in Curitiba, which include the Holiday Inn Express Curitiba Santa Felicidade, the Holiday Inn Express Curitiba Batel and the Holiday Inn Express Curitiba Airport, and are currently developing a Holiday Inn Express in Araraquara, Brazil.

Foz do Iguaçu has the world's largest waterfall, and over 200 different cataracts pour into the Rio Iguazu. The falls flow directly between Argentina and Brazil.

The Holiday Inn Express Aparecida do Norte-Santuário Nacional will be located in the city of Aparecida do Norte, in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Upon completion, the 13-story, 126-room hotel will feature two meeting rooms, a business center and a fitness center. The property will be developed and owned by Hamam Hotéis e Incorporações, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.

The city of Aparecida do Norte is located in the Paraíba River Valley, about 200 km from São Paulo and is a destination for pilgrims traveling to the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida, the Patron Saint of Brazil. The shrine is among the largest and tallest churches in the world spanning 567 ft long and 551 ft wide; the dome reaches 229 ft and the steeple rises to 328 ft and holds up to 45,000 people. In May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI visited the region to canonize the first Brazilian Saint, Blessed Antonio Galvão, an 18th-century Franciscan who founded the Sisters of Our Lady of the Conception of Divine Providence. Aparecida do Norte receives over 7 million pilgrims each year.

The Holiday Inn Express Natal in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil will be located in the Ponta Negra Beach community on Avenida Engenheiro Roberto Freire and will be owned by Praiamar Empreendimentos Turisticos Ltda, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. The 13-floor, 160-room hotel will feature an outdoor swimming pool, recreation area, fitness center, gift shops and a business center.

Natal, also known as the City of the Sun, has become one of the most significant tourist destinations for local and international travelers alike, with beaches among the most beautiful in the world. A city built on sand, Natal also has great sand dunes that are hundreds of feet high and spill down into the seashore. Local sand dune activities include sand-skiing, rope-sliding, camel rides and buggy rides. Natal is also a city filled with history, and its historical district has preserved buildings that date from the time of its colonization.

"We are proud to continue our expansion in Latin America," said Tom Murray, chief operating officer, The Americas, IHG. "Brazil is a flourishing country with a great tourism market, and we are honored to continue our relationship of over 60 years with Brazil. This development will be a major contribution to the hotel industry throughout Latin America."

IHG has more than 160 hotels in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean and has been serving Latin America for over 60 years. IHG is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, and the second largest hotel operator in Latin America. IHG has hotels situated in nearly every key market in the Latin America territory. In the past year, IHG has opened three Holiday Inn Express properties in Brazil and one in Puerto Montt, Chile. IHG also announced plans for the Holiday Inn Express San Jose – Forum in Costa Rica and the Holiday Inn Express Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.