Irish hotel management company, PREM Group, will open its eighth IHG branded hotel this month with the launch of the Holiday Inn in the Polish city of Lodz.

The hotel is PREM Group's first venture in Poland and its opening is part of the company's three year strategy to grow its hotel management base across northern Europe.

The company currently operates 32 hotels and apart-hotels in Ireland, England, Belgium, France and now Poland.

Last month it announced that it had signed a long term lease for a new build Holiday Inn Express in Berlin, which will open in December 2013.

Centrally located on Lodz's popular Piotrkowska Street, one of the world's longest streets, the 4 star Holiday Inn will offer 127 guest rooms, extensive conference facilities, as well as a themed bar and restaurant. It will employ 80 full-time staff. Lodz, Poland's third largest city, is located approximately 140km from Warsaw and 190km from Poznan, where Ireland will play two of their group matches in the forthcoming Euro 2012.

Commenting on the opening, Mr. Jim Murphy, Group Managing Director, PREM Group said the opening of the Holiday Inn in Lodz marked an important milestone in the company's expansion strategy.

"PREM Group expects to operate five hotels in Poland by 2015 and is working on a number of new hotel projects in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and the UK. The company will also continue to look for opportunities in the Irish market, where it can offer a range of hotel services to the Industry," he said.