IFC Funds Georgia's One of The First Three-Star Branded Hotel, Boosting Job Creation and Growth**

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. November 26, 2015

IFC Funds Georgia's One of The First Three-Star Branded Hotel, Boosting Job Creation and Growth

Tbilisi, Georgia, November 25, 2015—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is providing a $7 million loan to a wholly owned subsidiary of m2 Real Estate to build one of the first three-star internationally branded hotels in Georgia, helping create jobs, meet growing demand for quality hospitality infrastructure, and spur broader economic growth.

Tourism and travel is one of Georgia's fastest growing sectors, and a key generator of jobs. Yet the budget and mid-market hotel segments are particularly underserved, resulting in a large gap between supply and demand. In funding the construction of a Ramada Encore Hotel in Tbilisi, IFC's loan to JSC m2 Real Estate's wholly owned subsidiary aims to address this gap.

”Building on our successful cooperation with IFC over years, with this new project we plan to contribute to improving Georgia's hospitality infrastructure and cater to the growing demand for travel in the country,” said Irakli Burdiladze, Chief Executive Officer, m2 Real Estate.

The 152-room hotel is the first step in JSC m2Real Estate's plan to build more than 300 affordable hotel rooms in Tbilisi and, potentially, other cities of Georgia. In addition, the hotel plans to use using energy efficient technologies to reduce power use.

“We are helping develop Georgia's private sector - particularly for business infrastructure, like this budget and mid-market hotel - because the availability of such infrastructure can boost business and tourist activities,” said Jan van Bilsen, IFC Regional Manager for the South Caucasus. “The hotel sector also generates economic activity for small businesses, which supply goods and services during construction and operations, supporting economic growth.”

Ramada Encore Hotel in Tbilisi is ultimately expected to create more than 100 direct and indirect employment opportunities. Hotel and tourism jobs often have a strong multiplier effect and indirectly generate many other jobs, one of the key reasons behind IFC's support for the hotel industry in developing countries. Since 1956, IFC has invested over $2.7 billion in more than 276 tourism and hotel projects in 90 countries, with about half of these investments in frontier countries.

Since Georgia became an IFC member in 1995, IFC has provided more than $1 billion in long-term finance, including $362 million mobilized from partners, supporting 52 projects across various sectors. In addition, IFC has supported nearly $300 million in trade through its trade finance program, and implemented several advisory projects focused on private sector development.

About IFC IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Working with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, we use our capital, expertise, and influence, to create opportunity where it's needed most. In FY15, our long-term investments in developing countries rose to nearly $18 billion, helping the private sector play an essential role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

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About m2 Real Estate JSC m2 Real Estate, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BGEO Group plc, is a real estate company focusing on the real estate development and property management. To this date, JSC m2 Real Estate has attracted equity and debt financing in the aggregate amount of nearly US$ 110 million. JSC m2 Real Estate has already successfully completed 3 housing projects located in the central districts in Tbilisi, Georgia, with 3 more projects underway planned to be finished in 2016. For more information, visit www.m2.ge.