The Fiesta Resort Saipan will rebrand as Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan in 2022, furthering IHG’s rapid expansion in Micronesia.

The impressive 416-room hotel will undergo a refurbishment, before adding a 116-room extension by 2025.

Alongside IHG’s October announcement that it has taken on the management of the 318-room Fiesta Resort Guam, a hotel that will rebrand as a Crowne Plaza in 2021, the combined 850 room count makes the biggest ever conversion signing for IHG’s Australasia, Japan and Pacific Islands region.

Saipan is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands and is part of the Commonwealth of the United States.

A 20-minute flight from Guam, Saipan is characterised by sandy shores and mountainous landscapes and boasts several championship golf courses.

It has a borderline tropical rainforest climate and, with an average year-round maximum temperature of 28.9°C, Saipan has been cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as having the least fluctuating temperatures in the world.

Abhijay Sandilya, Vice President Development, Australasia, Japan & Pacific. Photo: IHG

Abhijay Sandilya, IHG’s Vice President Development, Australasia, Japan & Pacific, said Micronesia was a favourite destination for travellers from around the world, and from Korea, China and Japan in particular.

"We will draw on IHG’s deep expertise in catering to guests from these markets," he said.

"We look forward to growing the resort’s footprint with our world-class Crowne Plaza brand.”

Fiesta Resort Saipan features six dining outlets and a club lounge, and also offers four meeting rooms, a 300-person ballroom, a gym, multiple swimming pools, retail area and a stunning 500 metre beach frontage.

IHG has extensive experience in operating hotels and resorts that cater to Japanese, Korean and Chinese guests, with more than 400 hotels across China and Korea, and 32 hotels in Japan, including InterContinental resorts in Okinawa and the spectacular ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort and Spa, which opened in August last year.

Asia Pacific Hotels Executive Vice President Jennifer Tan Su said while Saipan enjoyed great hotel fundamentals, stable tourism and moderately long average stays, there was a distinct lack of great, internationally branded hotels.

"We knew we needed a global brand like Crowne Plaza to attract guests from around the world bring a new level of hospitality to Saipan," she said.

"We are excited about the next phase of growth for this fantastic hotel, and look forward to growing the partnership with IHG.”

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