This will be the city's first internationally branded hotel, due to open in August 2008.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, today announced the signing of its first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Taiwan. The hotel will be located in Taichung, Taiwan's third largest city, and will be the city's first global hotel brand. Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing brands in the hotel industry, opening on average two hotels a week in the world. This latest development represents a key milestone in the ongoing expansion of Holiday Inn Express in Asia Pacific.

The 169-room Holiday Inn Express Taichung Park, which will be part of the Sunshine Plaza shopping complex, will open in August 2008. It is close to the city's central business district and will offer easy access to major transportation links, including a major train station, bus terminals and a road network that connects Taichung to all other parts of Taiwan. Taichung City is home to many small and medium size enterprises with increasing business and tourism links throughout Taiwan. The hotel will be developed by Esse Commerce Development Co and managed by IHG.

"We are delighted to be partnering with Esse Commerce Development Co. to bring our award winning Holiday Inn Express brand to Taiwan and Taichung City," said Gary Rosen, senior vice president, sales & marketing, IHG Asia Pacific. "IHG was one of the first international hotel companies to enter Taiwan in the early 1990s. With the fresh and innovative positioning of Holiday Inn Express, we are confident that the Taiwan market will present further growth opportunities for the Holiday Inn Express brand."

Holiday Inn Express will fulfill a unique need. The brand is positioned as a smart, innovative and refreshing hotel choice for business and leisure travellers, offering guest-relevant facilities and focused services, consistent quality and stylish
design.

"Our partnership with IHG represents a great opportunity to capitalise on the market demand for a value-driven hotel concept in Taichung City. The proven success formula of the Holiday Inn Express brand together with the support of IHG's market leading operating systems and global distribution systems made IHG the ideal partner for us in this project. We are confident about the future success of Holiday Inn Express in Taiwan and we're expecting to see the brand develop quickly in this market," said Mr. Tim Yang, executive director of Esse Commerce Development Company.

Holiday Inn Express has expanded rapidly across the globe. In mainland China, there are currently 11 hotels open and 20 new hotels in the pipeline. The brand is now available in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen and Dalian as well as Hong Kong.