Intercontinental Hotels Group, one of the world's largest hotel groups in terms of room numbers, said yesterday it has added 70 hotels in China last year, and the country is now the company's fastest growing market in the Asia Pacific region where nearly 100 hotels were signed in 2007.

Of all hotel deals signed by international hotel operators in China, 47 percent are with IHG, the company said. IHG, which now has 107 hotels in the country, is on track to open its 125th hotel by the end of this year, according to Peter Gowers, chief executive of IHG Asia Pacific.

Meanwhile, with the Olympics approaching, IHG is set to become the non-domestic hotel group with the largest inventory of rooms in Beijing. It expects to have 15 hotels operational before the Games open in August.

(Shanghai Daily February 21, 2008)