InterContinental Hotels (IHG) has signed an agreement with hotel owners Stardon to manage five of its UK properties as part of IHG's Holiday Inn chain.
Stardon is the joint venture company owned by Starwood Capital Europe and Chardon hotels which paid the Hilton Group £111m for 11 of its UK hotels earlier this year. The five properties were part of the Hilton portfolio.
The deal brings the number of holiday Inns in the UK to 100.
The five properties in medium-sized UK towns and cities comprise 602 rooms between them.
Before opening as Holiday Inns, they will undergo considerable re-furbishment. The management deal is for 20 years.
The agreement is part of IHG's policy of converting itself from a hotel owning group to one which manages and franchises properties.
It is currently in the process of selling off £2bn worth of its properties.
Sabre strengthens European team
Leading GDS Sabre Travel Network has made three new appointments to its European team.
Titus Johnson, for several years regional manager for UK and Ireland for VLM Airlines, joins as airline sales director in the EMEA sales team.
Florence Mackay, previously vp investor relations WorldRes.com, director of sales and marketing for SRS Worldhotels and director of global accounts at American Express, becomes the new director hotel and car distribution EMEA.
The new head of solutions consulting for Sabre's EMEA product solutions group is Ian Ferguson, previously an independent consultant.