Holiday Inn City of Knowledge, Panama Opens

IHG announced the opening of the 137-room Holiday Inn City of Knowledge at the Panama Canal, in the

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. October 14, 2008

MIAMI, FL, May 21, 2008. The Holiday Inn City of Knowledge at the Panama Canal is owned and managed by Empresas Bern (Bern Enterprises), under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. The Holiday Inn is IHG's fourth hotel in Panama through its affiliation with Panama-based Bern Hotels & Resorts, the tourism division of Empresas Bern. One of the most respected commercial developers in the region, Empresas Bern also owns IHG's InterContinental Miramar Panama, InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa and the Crowne Plaza Panama.

The Holiday Inn is ideally located next to the Panama Canal in the City of Knowledge, a renowned international complex for education and research. The hotel is affiliated with the new educational institution of Bern Hotels & Resorts, the Panama International Hotel School, which adds a hospitality-oriented educational component to the City of Knowledge's tradition of innovation and inspiring personal excellence.

"The Holiday Inn City of Knowledge at Panama Canal will certainly become a hub due to its strategic location and will help the school foster the hotel leaders of tomorrow," said Alvaro Diago, area president, IHG Latin America. "Herman Bern's vision has been brought to life with the school, and we're confident that this property will serve as an ideal model for the hotel industry across Latin America."

"IHG has embraced education as a key mission," said Herman Bern, president of Empresas Bern. "As a Holiday Inn property, we look to follow in the legacy of the brand's founder, Kemmons Wilson, in continually educating the next generation of industry leaders. We look forward to continuing to build our relationship with IHG."

"Herman Bern is one of our industry's true leaders," added Tom Murray, Chief Operating Officer, The Americas, IHG. "IHG has been extremely honored to have been associated with Herman and his company for more than a decade, and our future together seems to grow increasingly brighter. The success of his hotels in Panama and the vision he has in creating this hotel school serve as one of our company's proudest relationships."

The Holiday Inn City of Knowledge at the Panama Canal features room service, a business center, five meeting rooms to accommodate up to 250 people, on-site parking, Bookends lobby bar, and the Canal View Caf'e, offering a variety of international cuisines and an amazing view of the famous Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the narrow Isthmus of Panama. It is one of the two most strategic artificial waterways in the world. Ships sailing between the east and west coasts of the United States, which otherwise would be obligated to round Cape Horn in South America, shorten their voyage approximately 8,000 nautical miles by using the canal.

Panama is truly a scenic splendor with crystal blue waters, Caribbean beaches, exotic coral reefs, untouched rainforests, and breathtaking waterfalls. It is also home to 940 bird species, 1500 islands, 500 rivers and 125 animal species found nowhere else in the world. Panama has a thriving business economy, making the region ideal for business and leisure travelers.