IHG Expands Jeddah Portfolio with City’s First Staybridge Suites

By Alex Girda, Associate Editor

InterContinental Hotels Group, the hospitality group with the largest presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is further expanding its portfolio. IHG has inked an agreement with Dyafah Al Mutahida L.L.C. that will see a new Staybridge Suites open in the city of Jeddah. This will be the company’s first Staybridge-branded property in Saudi Arabia, under the name Staybridge Suites Hira Street.

Set to be located in central Jeddah, the 200-key hotel would be just 4.3 miles away from the city’s King Abdulaziz International Airport. It will be built on a 3.6-acre site and will include retail outlets, a healthcare facility and a multi-purpose hall. Suites are designed to render a residential ambiance that would satisfy the needs of extended-stay business guests, the brand’s target audience. Fully-equipped kitchens, free Wi-Fi, separate working areas and entertainment and communication facilities are also part of the package hotel guests can expect.

Jeddah is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, with a population of around three million, second only to the capital city of Riyadh. The city has an important financial background, the first bank in the country being founded in Jeddah, and it is also one of the area’s primary resort cities. Jeddah was ranked fourth in 2009’s Innovation Cities Index for the Africa/Mid-East region.

IHG has its sights set on the city, as it has identified Jeddah as a major growth market for the area. InterContinental Hotels Group already operates the 300-room InterContinental Jeddah, the 323-key Crowne Plaza Jeddah, and the 319-key Holiday Inn Al Salaam Jeddah. Overall, the company operates 22 hotels in Saudi Arabia, or a total of 5,111 rooms. The Staybridge Suites brand, catering to extended stay guests, has enjoyed a large amount of success since the first facility was opened under the brand, in 1998. Around 200 such facilities are now open worldwide.