The 122-room, 15-story hotel is the first in the country of Honduras and is located in the heart of the City of San Pedro Sula and close to the city's main tourist destinations.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, announced that the Holiday Inn San Pedro Sula has become the Crowne Plaza San Pedro Sula.

Founded in 1536, San Pedro Sula is in the northern part of Honduras and is only a few miles from the coast. It has a population of 900,000 and is the second largest city in Honduras, after Tegucigalpa. San Pedro Sula is known as the industrial capital of the country since its location is among various plantations, factories and businesses.

In only three hours travelers can visit Las Ruinas de Copan (The Ruins of Copan), which are considered some of the oldest and most well preserved Ruins of the Mayan Empire. There, visitors can find amazing temples, pyramids, and giant stelaes with carved glyphs, which belong to some of the last remaining Indian populations of this Central American region.

Owned by Antonio Handal under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group, the Crowne Plaza San Pedro Sula has been fully renovated to meet Crowne Plaza brand standards. The changes to the property include new bedding in all of the guestrooms, an expansion and a fresh new look of the hotel's lobby and common areas, and complete refurbishments throughout the hotel's interiors.

"We are delighted to be bringing the Crowne Plaza brand into Honduras since it is a major part of the brand's growth strategy for this region," says Alvaro Diago, Area President of IHG Latin America. "In addition to all of the hotel's upgrades, the number of meeting rooms, and its strategic location in Honduras' economic heartland, the hotel is perfectly suited to be a Crowne Plaza, as the brand is known globally as "The Place to Meet"."

The hotel is ideally situated less than a mile from the Convention Center, Hondureno Arabe Country Club and is also near the "Museo de Antropologia e Historia" (Anthropology and History Museum), Maya World, and the city's Cathedral. It is located less than a half hour drive from the Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport, which is serviced regularly by Taca, American, Continental and Aero Honduras.

The hotel's fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, spa and business center have all been revamped. The Presidential Suite and the Executive floor have also been refined and luxuriously redecorated. The hotel's restaurants, which include Rio de Piedras and a sushi bar, have been renovated.

"We are very proud to now be a Crowne Plaza hotel, especially since it is known worldwide as a first-class brand," said Antonio Handal, owner of the Crowne Plaza San Pedro Sula. "We have worked very hard to upgrade our hotel to meet Crowne Plaza brand standards, and we are very happy with the results. We are even happier to continue being part of the IHG family of brands."

All of the hotel's guestrooms are equipped with flat-screen televisions, IPOD ports, dual-line telephones and wireless Internet access. The hotel has eight meeting rooms that are perfect for both business meetings and social functions, and can accommodate up to 250 people.

Consistent with the Crowne Plaza brand, the hotel offers a comprehensive meetings package to ensure a seamless planning process and exceptional meeting experience consisting of three key components: a Two-Hour Response Guarantee, Crowne Meetings Director and a Meetings Daily Debrief.

The Crowne Plaza San Pedro Sula offers the renowned Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage program, which is available at all Crowne Plaza hotels in the Americas and encompasses the entire sleep experience, from training staff on how to create and maintain a restful environment to providing innovative products and services. Program components include new bedding, guaranteed wake-up calls, designated quiet zones, night lights, drape clips, sleep CDs, sleep tips and amenities such as eye masks, ear plugs and lavender spray.