InterContinental-owned boutique chain Hotel Indigo has opened its first property in continental Europe.

The Hotel Indigo Berlin opened its doors February 3, marking the brand’s first entry into Europe outside of the United Kingdom.

Designed with Hotel Indigo’s trademark ’boutique’ feel, the property contains 81 rooms, which are finished in light wood and white but have been individualized with color to give them the feel of an ‘artist’s studio’.

InterContinental, the world’s largest hotel firm and the name behind hotel brands such as Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, is set to launch a new chain next year.

In a speech at the firm’s annual conference in Las Vegas, IHG’s America’s boss confirmed to staff that a new hotel brand was on the way.

“If you’re on a cereal aisle, and you’re Post (Foods LLC) or Kellogg (Co.), you want to dominate as much as you can of that shelf space,” Kirk Kinsell said.

InterContinental has announced ambitious plans to open 100 hotels in Russia by 2020, an expansion of almost ten times the number operating there today.

The hotel chain announced September 12 that it aimed to capitalize on growing tourism to the country by significantly adding to the number of hotels it operates, across brands such as InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Hotel Indigo.

Among the new properties will be Europe’s largest Holiday Inn, a 1,000-room behemoth in Moscow set to open in 2014.

Members of the InterContinental hotels loyalty program are to be offered the chance to snap up last-minute hotel deals on points, the company announced August 1.

Last Minute Rewards will offer Priority Club members the chance to redeem hotel nights for 50 percent fewer points than they would otherwise be offered at.

The promotion will be valid at nearly 90 select hotels around the world, including properties in popular holiday destinations such as Orlando, Florida; Berlin; Paris; Shanghai; Bangkok; and Seoul.

InterContinental-owned Crowne Plaza has unveiled a room designed to help the long-suffering partners of snoring sleepers get a good night’s sleep.

The chain said that a “snore absorption room” is being rolled out at nine of its global properties on a trial basis to see if it can help couples snooze in more comfort.

Based on “proven technology,” the room has been given a set of extra features Crowne Plaza believes could help reduce snoring, tackling both the snorer and the person being kept awake.

InterContinental has retained its grip as the world’s largest hotel chain, according to the annual ranking of hotels by accommodation analyst MKG Hospitality.

The British company, which operates brands including Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaze and InterContinental, offers a whopping 647,161 rooms around the world, more than any other hotel chain despite growing slowly over the past year.

In second place in the listing released this week is Wyndham Hotels, which offers 612,735 rooms but is gaining quickly (adding 2.5% more rooms in the last year).