InterContinental Hotels Group will manage the Beijing Olympic Centre's first luxury hotel under its InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand.

The 350-room InterContinental Beijing North will be developed by Beijing North Star Company Limited, one of China's leading property groups and a key player in the development of Beijing's Asian Games and Olympics centers. The hotel will be strategically located close to the proposed National Convention Centre, which will be the capital city's largest convention venue. It is also adjacent to planned integrated office and retail complexes.

Edmond Ip, InterContinental Hotels Group's chief operating officer, Greater China, said, "The upcoming Olympics will have positive long term impact on the economies of Beijing and China and we are proud to be appointed to manage the Olympic Centre's first luxury hotel. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the world's first truly international hotel brand and a perfect fit for this landmark hotel project. We look forward to driving strong demand into this much anticipated hotel."

Zhao Hui Zhi, chairman of Beijing North Star Company Limited, added: "We are delighted to have appointed InterContinental Hotels Group as partners to manage our flagship hotel project in Beijing. The Group is known worldwide for the hotel management expertise, global scale, proven operating systems and internationally recognised hotel brands. We are confident that our expectations and projections for InterContinental Beijing North will be surpassed."

This is InterContinental Hotels Group's second Olympic signing in China. In June, the Group announced plans to launch InterContinental Qingdao, which will be part of the coastal city's integrated Olympic Water Sports Centre.

InterContinental Hotels Group is one of the largest international hotel operator in Greater China, with a portfolio of 59 hotels in primary cities and secondary locations across four brands. The company is on track towards having 125 hotels open in China by the end of 2008.