As business and leisure travel to Eastern Europe continues to surge, InterContinental Hotels Group has revealed its first ever presence in Latvia.

This expansion follows the signing of a Holiday Inn hotel, in partnership with Lords LB Asset Management.

Holiday Inn, the largest hotel brand in the world, is targeted to open in Latvia’s thriving capital Riga, in September 2022 in the former Preses Nams building in the heart of the city.

The 280 room Holiday Inn Riga will be located at the southern-most point of Kipsala Island on the west bank of the Daugava River.

The hotel will have stunning panoramic views of the city and Riga’s old town. 

This prime location is connected to all the major transport hubs, with Riga international airport just eight kilometres away.

The hotel should also be served by a new tramline connecting the airport with the city centre, due for completion in 2024.

Riga prides itself on being the major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre in the Baltic region.

The European Capital of Culture in 2014, the 800-year-old city is a cultural hotspot, known for its wooden buildings, art nouveau architecture and many museums and concert halls.

It is also a thriving commercial centre, with a variety of industries including IT, transport and logistics, agriculture, chemicals and electronic manufacturing.

Miguel Martins, development director, Poland and Eastern Europe, IHG, said: “We are very excited to be signing this agreement today with Lords LB to build the Holiday Inn Riga, the very first IHG hotel brand in Latvia.

“Riga is a thriving commercial and tourism centre and as the numbers of visitors from around the world continues to rise, there’s a growing need for trusted hotel brands to fulfil demand from both business and leisure travellers.

“We look forward to bringing the unique and world-renowned Holiday Inn guest experience to Riga.”