IHG Hotels & Resorts continues expansion in Saudi Arabia with Hotel Indigo in NEOM’s Oxagon

Thursday, Jul 20, 2023 0

The franchise agreement cements IHG’s commitment to both Saudi Vision 2030 and its role in growing the region’s hospitality sector.

The development of a Hotel Indigo property in Oxagon underscores the city’s vision to create a new urban model where industry and thriving communities converge.

IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, with 6000 hotels across 18 brands, has signed a franchise agreement that will see a Hotel Indigo property open in Oxagon, a coastal industrial city in NEOM, located in the Northwest region of Saudi Arabia.

In Oxagon, thriving communities will exist seamlessly alongside clean industry, commercial, hospitality, entertainment and retail activities. The 250-key Hotel Indigo property will be situated in Oxagon’s first residential community and will open its doors in 2026. Designed to seamlessly integrate work, live, and play, Oxagon’s neighborhoods will be fully walkable, with sustainable on-demand mass transit and micro mobility solutions.

As one of IHG’s lifestyle brands, Hotel Indigo properties offer a gateway to some of the world’s most inspiring locations. Just as no two neighborhoods are alike, no two Hotel Indigo properties are the same, taking inspiration from the area around each hotel to inform all aspects of the guest experience, from the hotel’s boutique design approach to locally inspired restaurants. Similarly, the Hotel Indigo property in Oxagon will be designed as a lifestyle destination offering exciting retail and dining concepts including cafés, a pool lounge, and a specialty restaurant. Additionally, residents and visitors will have access to a range of leisure and wellness facilities including a spa and 24-hour fitness centre.

Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said: “We are delighted to announce our first IHG hotel in the exciting and rapidly developing region of NEOM. Hotel Indigo is dedicated to embracing the unique essence of each local destination, ensuring that our hotels truly embody the spirit of their locations. We are excited to announce the upcoming opening of this new property in Oxagon, where an innovative blueprint for industry and remarkable livability is being crafted. This extraordinary establishment is set to welcome guests in 2026. In addition, our lifestyle brand, Hotel Indigo, has seen great success in the Kingdom with several signing in the past months. As our presence in the market continues to grow, we are committed to supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by offering exceptional hospitality experiences to leisure and business travellers visiting the country.”

Redefining the traditional industrial city, Oxagon will put people, innovation, and sustainability at the core of its development and will be home to a dedicated research and innovation campus and a next-generation sustainable port with a fully automated and integrated supply chain. Vishal Wanchoo, CEO of Oxagon said: “Hotel Indigo’s vision to create a boutique neighborhood hotel reflecting Oxagon’s ethos of bringing people and technology together in harmony with nature, makes IHG the right partner for the first upscale property for our urban communities. As progress across our industrial and innovation ecosystems accelerate, these agreements ensure that exceptional hospitality experiences are available to tenants, residents, and visitors from the outset.”

Chris Newman, Executive Director, Hotel Development at NEOM, commented: “Hotel Indigo has earned global recognition for its unmatched ability to blend character and comfort, infusing the unique spirit of each neighborhood it operates in. We are delighted at the opportunity to create exceptional guest experiences that reflect the captivating beauty of their environment. With this property, we want to capture the true essence of Oxagon’s innovative approach to the industry, its remarkable people, and the cutting-edge technology that defines it. We are confident that IHG is the perfect partner to embark on this endeavor with us, leveraging their expertise to bring our vision to fruition.”

IHG currently operates 37 hotels across five brands in Saudi Arabia, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, and Voco, with 31 hotels in the development pipeline set to open within the next three to five years. Last month IHG signed a management agreement to open a Hotel Indigo in Mohammed Bin Salman Non-profit City in 2025.