MIAMI, (BUSINESS WIRE).- The world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced the opening of the new Holiday Inn Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

This is the first Holiday Inn in Santo Domingo, after a subsidiary operation located in the grounds of the capital’s Hotel Jaragua in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

It is also the first Holiday Inn in the Caribbean to incorporate the brand’s new hallmarks, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program.

The 7-story, 141-room hotel will open under a management agreement with Inexpress Dominicana, S.A., a sister company of Inverplata S.A., which owns the InterContinental V Centenario Santo Domingo, and as the second IHG property in Santo Domingo.

The Holiday Inn Santo Domingo is located on Avenida Abraham Lincoln, one of the city’s main avenues, also home to embassies and government agencies, as well as headquarters for many multinational companies. It’s located near the Pontifical University (PUCMM), and a myriad of shopping centers, nightclubs, and restaurants.

Today Santo Domingo is considered to be one of the largest economic and commercial hubs in the entire Caribbean, bustling with young entrepreneurs, plenty of opportunities and several new developments all within a strong and financially viable market. It is an enchanting city that melds a contemporary metropolis with an antique European charm and tropical Latin flavors. Considered to be the first European city in the Western Hemisphere, a large part of its old world inheritance has been preserved in a region near the Ozama River called the "Colonial City," in which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 1990.

“We are excited to introduce the Holiday Inn brand to one of the most thriving cities in the Caribbean,” says Alvaro Diago, COO, IHG, Latin America and Caribbean. “Additionally, we are thrilled to bring the new standards and hallmarks of the Holiday Inn brand to the Holiday Inn Santo Domingo as we know guests to the hotel will be extremely satisfied with the relaunch changes they experience.”

Amenities at the Holiday Inn Santo Domingo include a business center, outdoor rooftop swimming pool, spa, 24-hour fitness center, six meeting rooms, “Aromas” restaurant, “Level 2” bar/lounge, as well as plenty of guest parking and free Wi-Fi and high speed Internet in all rooms and public areas.

“We are extremely proud to open this property with IHG, one of the most internationally venerated hotel companies in the world,” says Pierre Nahas of Inexpress Dominicana, S.A. “In addition, the Holiday Inn brand has world-wide recognition among business and leisure travelers alike who have come to trust the brand’s service and standards. Now with the new Holiday Inn hallmarks, we are certain we will have much success.”

First announced in 2007, the Holiday Inn global brand relaunch was established to create a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom, and guest bath comfort. The global estate of more than 3,300 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010, and more than 1000 hotels have been relaunched to date.