InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to debut in Malaysia with the opening in February 2011 of the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur.

Jan Smits, managing director of IHG Asia Australasia, said: "Malaysia was one of the few Southeast Asian countries that saw an increase in visitor arrivals in 2009, a trend that has continued to-date this year. "It's a hotel market that has potential for long-term growth, especially in view of Malaysia's target of reaching 36 million tourist arrivals by 2020."

The 473-room property, the former Nikko Hotel on Jalan Ampang, will now undergo a 30-month, three-phase programe of ongoing refurbishment. IHG currently operates 50 hotels in Asia Pacific. With the opening of the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur and including the recently signed Holiday Inn Express in Kota Kinabalu, six of them will be in Malaysia.