IHG set to open new hotel in Palau

IHG Hotels & Resorts on Monday signed a management agreement with Palau Coral Club to open a new hotel on Malakal Island.

The proposed Hotel Indigo Palau is targeted for opening either in late 2024 or early 2025. 

“This will be IHG’s first property in Palau, and its third in Micronesia. It also follows on from the recent signing of Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya with PPIH, which will open in 2023,” said Abhijay Sandilya, IHG’s managing director.

“While Indigo Tokyo Shibuya and the Palau beach resort are two very different destination, they are both attractive destinations in their own right, attracting tourists from all over the world with a unique story and experience. We are confident that both will be very successful, sharing the unique stories of their respective neighbourhoods with the world,” Sandilya added.

IHG said the Palau project, which is part of the company’s goal to expand its portfolio in Japan and Micronesia, “will boast an outstanding location on Malakal Island, fronting onto a coral reef with amazing views and immediate access to world-class diving and marine life.” 

It will feature approximately 200 guest rooms, an all-day dining neighborhood café and separate restaurant, a sunset bar by the pool, meeting rooms for 60 people, a resort centre, swimming pool, spa and gymnasium, among other amenities.

“The Hotel Indigo brand is famous for bringing the ‘neighbourhood story’ of its destination to guests, weaving the location into various aspects of service, design, art and storytelling,” IHG said. 

Palau is regarded as one of the world’s best destinations for divers from all over the world, as well as snorkelling, kayaking, boating and many other ocean activities.

“This makes it the perfect brand to showcase Palau’s amazing character, history, culture and natural beauty to guests from around the world. Hotel Indigo Palau’s story will present a ‘Pledge to the Miraculous Sea’, with a theme inspired by the natural beauty of Palau, one of the most pristine marine paradises in the world,” IHG said.

IHG said Palau’s proximity to its key source markets, including Japan, Korea and China, “means that it is destined to once again become a popular destination for many tourists from all over the world as travel resumes.”

“I’m so proud and excited that we have signed an agreement to open a Hotel Indigo property in Palau with the owner, Palau Coral Club, whose largest shareholder is Takao Yasuda, founder of Pan Pacific International Holdings Ltd.,” Sandilya said. There are currently 135 open Hotel Indigo properties around the world, and a development pipeline of 124 hotels. In Japan,  there are three Hotel Indigo properties open (Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora, Hotel Indigo Karuizawa and Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden), with Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya scheduled to open in autumn 2023.