Natal is considered to be one of the best tourist destinations for both Brazilian and foreign travelers since it has some of the most beautiful and pristine beaches in the world. Natal is the Capital city of Rio Grande do Norte- a northeastern state in Brazil- and has a total population of approximately 800 000.

InterContinental Hotels Group one of the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced that it has opened the 13-story, 160-room Holiday Inn Express Natal in Natal, Brazil.

The Holiday Inn Express Natal is located in the Ponta Negra Beach community on Avenida Engenheiro Roberto Freire and is owned and managed by Praiamar Empreendimentos Turisticos Ltda, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. The new hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, recreation area, fitness center, gift shops and a business center. This hotel also features High-Technology that consists of computerized sensors that control humidity levels, temperature, lighting, and air conditioning.

"The opening of this hotel marks IHG's 15th property in Brazil and we look forward to growing our brands in key cities such as Natal, which offers one of the most stunning and natural surroundings on the earth next to a growing metropolitan area," said Alvaro Diago, Area President IHG Latin America. "We are also very excited to have Praiamar Empreendimentos Turisticos Ltda become part of the IHG family, we really look forward to doing business together with them."

Natal, a city built on sand, has massive sand dunes that are hundreds of feet high and spill down onto the seashore, offering activities including sand-skiing, rope-sliding, camel rides, buggy rides and much more. Natal is also a very historic city that has preserved buildings dating back to the 17th century including the Fortress of Wise Kings, which took 30 years to build and was completed on Three Kings Day (on January 6h 1598,). The city received the name of Natal based on its founding on Christmas Day in 1599.

"We are extremely proud to be opening a hotel together with IHG, a hotel company that is known globally for its sophisticated standards and first-class brands," said Francisco Caninde Abdori Gosson, President of Praiamar Empreendimentos Turisticos Ltda. "We are certain that with the hotel's excellent location and affiliation with a world-renowned modern brand like Holiday Inn Express, we will enjoy a tremendous amount of success."

Holiday Inn Express is the contemporary hotel for value-oriented travelers. Fresh, and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers. Holiday Inn Express is the fastest growing hotel brand in the industry, opening on average two hotels a week.

The Holiday Inn Express portfolio includes more than 1,700 hotels throughout the world and 15 hotels in Latin America. In the past year, IHG has opened the Holiday Inn Express in Puerto Montt, Chile, and another in Medellin, Colombia. By the end of 2008, IHG also plans to open the Holiday Inn Express Quito in Ecuador, the Holiday Inn Express San Jose – Forum in Costa Rica, and the Holiday Inn Express Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

The Holiday Inn Express Natal also participates in Priority Club Rewards. With more than 37 million members, Priority Club® Rewards is the first, largest and fastest-growing guest loyalty program in the hotel industry. Winner of the 19th Annual Freddie Awards hotel loyalty "Program of the Year" and named "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the World" three years running by Global Traveler magazine, Priority Club Rewards offers more sought-after benefits and the greatest ease of use of any hotel loyalty program.

Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG's 3,800 hotels worldwide.

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 one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms and has hotels situated in nearly every key market in the Latin America territory.