18 March 2010
Holiday Inn makes Hospitality History with the relaunch of the 2,000th hotel
Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh - Waterfront in Scotland marks milestone in the $1 billion relaunch
Today InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the relaunch of its 2000th Holiday Inn hotel, the Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh - Waterfront, in Scotland.
Holiday Inn is undergoing the biggest relaunch in hospitality industry history with a $1 billion investment across more than 3,200 hotels and 430,000 rooms worldwide.
First announced in October 2007, the relaunch is committed to offering guests a consistently good experience at all Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels around the world, from Adelaide to Atlanta and Rome to Rio.
Holiday Inn is also improving the quality of its hotels throughout the world with new openings, another 900 hotels in the Holiday Inn global development pipeline and the removal of poorer quality hotels.
The Holiday Inn brand was founded by Kemmons Wilson in 1952 with the first hotel opening in Memphis, Tennessee. 58 years on, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express are in 100 countries worldwide and welcome over 100 million people every year. To showcase its hospitality and expertise worldwide, Holiday Inn has been named as the official hotel services provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As a sponsor, Holiday Inn will be providing expertise in accommodation and services before and during the Games.
The 2000th relaunched hotel
Andy Cosslett, IHG's chief executive said, "Reaching 2,000 relaunched Holiday Inn hotels is a major milestone. We're two thirds of the way through the biggest relaunch in our industry's history, and on track to complete the programme by the end of the year."
"We've been asked whether now is the right economic climate to do this relaunch and the answer is definitely yes. Not only is the relaunch delivering improved guest satisfaction and RevPAR (revenue per available room) outperformance, it's also resetting the perception of Holiday Inn and will help the brand stay relevant for the next 50 years."
The relaunch focuses on the things research shows matter most to guests - a modern, contemporary hotel with efficient, friendly service and a great night's sleep.
Relaunched hotels feature:
- Upgraded and decluttered lobby areas
- A Holiday Inn scent and sound
- New bedding
- Upgraded showers and bathroom amenities
- New exterior lighting and landscaping
- New signage with the redesigned logo
- All Holiday Inn employees also go through an extensive "Stay Real" training programme to ensure guests receive the level of service they expect
Photography: For high resolution photos please visit www.vismedia.co.uk.
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For more information please contact:
Florence Eavis
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Emma Corcoran
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Notes to Editors:
InterContinental InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 4,400 hotels and more than 645,000 guest rooms in over 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and also manages the world’s largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with 48 million members worldwide.
IHG has nearly 1,400 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 160,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media