Wednesday's opening of the 363-room InterContinental Los Angeles Century City is proving to be an important cog in IHG's strategic growth initiative says the company's CEO Andrew Cosslett. The hotel's debut marks a third consecutive year of growth for the Atlanta-based hotelier, which has opened 16 new properties over the course of the last two years. The brand will continue global expansion this year with three new openings in China and one in Dubai, one of the fastest growing regions in the Middle East. The Century City property, a reflagged Park Hyatt, is seen as a bridge into the Los Angeles market says IHG's senior vice president and chief development officer, Kirk Kinsell.