IHG Hotels & Resorts to open first Holiday Inn in Sudurpashchim

KATHMANDU: IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Club Chaulani to develop Holiday Inn Dhangadhi, a 115‑key hotel in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City. The deal marks the company’s first entry into Nepal’s Sudurpashchim Province. The hotel is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2028.

Holiday Inn Dhangadhi will be located in the heart of the city within a mixed‑use development, about 8.5 kilometres from Dhangadhi Airport. Positioned near the India–Nepal border, the hotel is expected to serve business travellers, government officials and transit guests, while also catering to leisure visitors to regional attractions such as Shuklaphanta National Park, Ghodaghodi Lake and Shivpuri Temple.

The property will feature 115 guest rooms and four food and beverage outlets, including an all‑day dining restaurant, a pool bar and a speciality restaurant. It will also offer versatile function spaces and a ballroom for meetings and events, with amenities including a fully equipped fitness centre and a swimming pool.

The signing forms part of IHG’s strategy to expand its presence in high‑potential, underserved markets across South Asia. The Holiday Inn brand, which has more than 1,200 hotels worldwide, will bring its familiar service philosophy to the city, emphasising dependable, guest‑centred hospitality.

Commenting on the signing, Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said, “Dhangadhi represents an emerging hospitality market with strong fundamentals driven by improving infrastructure, cross‑border trade and rising domestic travel. The signing of Holiday Inn Dhangadhi reflects our confidence in the city’s growth potential. The hotel will cater precisely to this growth, serving both the rising domestic travel segment and regional business traffic, ensuring strong returns for our partners at Club Chaulani.”

Dr Rajendra KC, Chairman of Club Chaulani, said, “We are pleased to partner with IHG Hotels & Resorts to introduce the Holiday Inn brand to Dhangadhi. As the city continues to grow as a commercial and tourism gateway in western Nepal, there is a clear opportunity for high‑quality branded hospitality. We look forward to delivering a welcoming and reliable stay experience backed by IHG’s global expertise and strong brand standards.”

IHG described the signing as a milestone in its South Asia expansion. The company currently operates 51 hotels across six brands in India and has a pipeline of around 80 hotels due to open in the next three to five years.