IHG signs two further hotels in Istanbul.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed an agreement to open two new hotels in Istanbul, including Turkey’s first Holiday Inn Express. IHG signed a 20-year management contract with Turkish real estate country ORA Istanbul Real Estate Investment and Development (ORA) to develop a 281-room Crowne Plaza and a 146-room Express by Holiday Inn in Istanbul's Bayrampasa district. Both hotels are due to open in the first quarter of 2010. Both hotels are being developed as part of ORA Istanbul Urban Entertainment Center, an entertainment, retail and exhibition complex located between the city centre and the airport.

Rezidor announces its 50th hotel in the Middle East & Africa region.

The Rezidor Hotel Group has struck a new hotel deal in Dubai with the Radisson Dubai Trade Centre District. The 450-room property is scheduled to open at the end of 2011 and will comprise a mixture of standard, deluxe and executive rooms, as well as junior suites and one presidential suite. The new property will also offer a selection of bars and restaurants including an all-day dining space, a nightclub, a rooftop bar and terrace with views of the Dubai skyline, a fitness centre, a pool area, an executive lounge and a business centre.

SSP brings the spirit of the Montreux Jazz Festival to Geneva International Airport

Food and drink operator SSP is set to open the Montreux Jazz Café inside Geneva airport. The Jazz Café is the result of a collaboration between Claude Nobs, founder of the renowned Montreux Jazz Festival, and SSP. The restaurant is divided into distinct front of house and backstage areas, the latter featuring a lounge bar incorporating a 70-inch flat screen displaying images from the Festival’s archives. The Café will also host a schedule of live music events, due to commence in September. The menu has been developed with expert advice from Geneva-based Michelin-starred chef Gilles Dupont, who has worked closely with SSP’s own food development team and Claude Nobs to create signature dishes for the Café.

The Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux opens Le Pressoir d’Argent restaurant

The Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux has opened its fine dining restaurant Le Pressoir d’Argent. Yves Mattagne has created the menu for the eaterie, alongside chef Pascal Nibaudeau who is in command of the kitchens. Langoustines and caviar from Aquitaine, Belon oysters and Breton blue lobsters are featured on the menu. The restaurant also features a lobster press – one of only five in existence around the world. The restaurant is situated on the first floor of the Regent Grand Hotel in Bordeaux, and seats 48 guests. The interiors were designed by Jacques Garcia,

By Gemma Sharkey

E-mail your comments to Gemma Sharkey here.