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Expanding Its Sales and Partnerships with US Tour Operators As 2011 Represented a Year of Continued Growth In American Market for Corinthia Hotels

January 25, 2012--Corinthia Hotels, a luxury collection of five-star properties in Europe and the Mediterranean region, recently joined for the first time the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). This step comes at a time when 2011 figures indicate that Corinthia Hotels experienced an overall growth of 23% from the US market.

James Farrow, Senior Vice President Sales, Corinthia Hotels, noted “the opening of Corinthia Hotels’ first property in London in April 2011 no doubt had a major impact on this growth, and will continue to do so.” The Corinthia Hotel London, the luxury brand’s new flagship, received international accolades for setting new standards for luxury accommodation in the capital. The other five-star Corinthia Hotels are located in Budapest, Prague, Lisbon, St. Petersburg, Malta, and Tripoli and attract a growing number of American clientele.

Terry Dale, President, USTOA, stated, “it is indeed a real honor to welcome such a fine luxury brand as Corinthia Hotels to USTOA as an associate member. The Corinthia Hotels properties will fit nicely with many USTOA member itineraries specializing in distinct, luxury travel experiences and high levels of customer service.”

According to Andy Jackson, Regional Director of Leisure Sales, Corinthia Hotels, who represented Corinthia Hotels last month at the USTOA 2011 conference in Marco Island, Florida, “our sales and partnerships with tour operators in the USA are expanding rapidly, and more and more of our properties are being included in 2012 and 2013 brochures. USTOA provides an invaluable platform to meet with our existing buyers as well as introduce the Corinthia Brand to new clients. We look forward to being proactive in USTOA and using the organization as an opportunity to further raise the profile of Corinthia Hotels as the luxury brand of choice.”

About Corinthia Hotels:

Corinthia is a collection of hotels founded by the Pisani family of Malta. The brand remains true to its roots as a family business, fired by a passion for craftsmanship, devotion to detail and intuitive, warm service. Each of our hotels and resorts created in some of the most intriguing areas of the world is a tribute to local architecture and cultural traditions. The Corinthia portfolio includes the flagship Corinthia Hotel London, the award-winning Corinthia Hotel Budapest in Hungary, Corinthia Hotel Prague in the Czech Republic, Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg in Russia and Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa in Malta. The portfolio also features Corinthia Hotel St George’s Bay in Malta, the Corinthia Hotel Tripoli in Libya, and the modern Corinthia Hotel Lisbon in Portugal.

The Corinthia Hotel brand is owned by International Hotel Investments plc., a publicly-traded company in Malta, which also acquires, develops and owns Corinthia Hotels worldwide. The management of the hotels is entrusted to a subsidiary company CHI Hotels & Resorts Limited, which provides the full range of technical assistance and management services to hotel owners worldwide. CHI is the exclusive operator of the Corinthia brand as well as the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands for Europe, Africa and The Middle East.

11th August 2010 &endash; Multi-brand hotel operator CHI Hotels & Resorts announces that as from 1st October of this year it will be operating its second hotel in the highly popular Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt &endash; The Ramada Plaza -Naama Bay &endash; Sharm El Sheikh.

CHI signed a 15-year technical services and management agreement with the owning El Salam Company for Tourism Development, led by its chairman Mr Salim Hamza El Nasharty, for the operation of the converted and partly refurbished 254 bedroom hotel.

Previously known as the Royal Plaza Hotel since its opening in 2004, the Ramada Plaza - Naama Bay - Sharm El Sheikh is located on a vast tract of land measuring some 11,000 square metres, just three minutes from the town centre and 300 metres from the seafront promenade. It also has its own private beach 500 metres away at Sharm El Maya, which can be reached by hotel minibus.

Facilities at the refurbished hotel include a restaurant, piano bar, two swimming pools, a rooftop Spa and gymnasium, pool and beach bars, a spacious meeting room, several retail shops, 24-hour room service and an in-house laundry. Most bedrooms have a balcony and are equipped with satellite TV, minibar, air conditioning, direct-dial phones and in-room safes. Bathrooms feature shower/tub combinations and hair dryers.

" This is a great step forward for us in the region" said CHI's chief executive officer and managing director Tony Potter " It is our second hotel management agreement in Egypt within the space of one year and the first time we're bringing the Ramada Plaza brand into Naama Bay in Sharm. Our other hotel under management in the region, the Tiran Island Hotel, has performed well over the past year and this has encouraged us to further explore other opportunities in this vastly popular country of Egypt. We now look forward to the opening of our third CHI management property there, the luxurious Corinthia Resort Hotel, which together with the Tiran Island Hotel and Residences, will complete the upscale Corinthia Beach Resort in Montazah, Sharm El Sheikh, offering our guests an unparalleled holiday experience" concluded Tony Potter.

The Tiran Island Hotel and Residences and the Corinthia Resort Hotel are owned by Cyrene Tourism Investment Corporation of Egypt, headed by its owning chairman and CEO Mr H Mansouri.

Sharm El Sheikh is a city on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and has become a leading tourist resort thanks to its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches. Its waters are clear and calm for most of the year and have become popular for various water sports, particularly scuba diving and snorkelling, which are considered to be among the best in the world. Coral reefs and marine life, unmatched anywhere in the world, offer a spectacular and dazzling time for divers. All around are Bedouins, colourful tents, mountains and sea.

Close to the hotel, Naama Bay is the heart of Sharm El Sheikh and features all the amenities one could expect of a top class tourist resort, including casinos, discos and nightclubs, golf courses, windsurfing and other water sports, horses and camel riding, desert safaris, and nearby ancient attractions. At night the pedestrian promenade is vibrant with life, there are street cafes, restaurants and many bazaars selling local products and souvenirs.

Based in Malta, CHI Hotels & Resorts is a hotel management company that provides the full range of technical assistance and management services to hotel owners worldwide. CHI is the exclusive operator of the luxury Corinthia Hotels brand as well as the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands in Europe, Africa and The Middle East. CHI draws on a heritage of over 48 years in delivering high quality services to hotel guests and an optimum rate of return to owners and investors in diverse business environments. CHI's experience extends to management of luxury and upscale properties in city and resort locations and products ranging from boutique to conference and Spa hotels. CHI is owned by International Hotel Investments plc (70%) and Wyndham Hotel Group (30%).

Ramada Plaza hotels, a tier of the Ramada brand and part of Wyndham Hotel Group, are premiere, midscale hotels located in key destinations throughout the world. Offering contemporary single, double and suite accommodations, most properties feature high-speed Internet access, full buffet breakfast, on-site restaurants, 24-hour room service, business and fitness centers and meeting and banquet facilities.

Issued by the Communications Department of CHI Hotels & Resorts on 11th August 2010.