The idea had already been mooted several months earlier, and had been germinating within the group's management. It now seems to be taking shape, with the publication of an interview with Dow Jones Newswires by Jan Smits, Director of Operations Asia, Middle East for IHG. The hotel giant is planning to launch a new upmarket brand in China in the first half of 2012. The Chinese brand would be positioned between Crowne Plaza and InterContinental. Depending on how well the brand is received - the name of which remains unknown - other establishments could be set up beyond the Chinese market, in the Asia-Pacific region.
