03 November 2011

New Holiday Inn Express Los Angeles Downtown West Opens Following $1.25 Million Conversion

Opens as the Only Newly Renovated Midscale Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles

ATLANTA - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] announces the opening of the new Holiday Inn Express Los Angeles Downtown West, which recently underwent a conversion from a Ramada Limited hotel. The hotel’s extensive $1.25 million renovation includes upgrades to the exterior and updates to its 80 guests rooms and 15 Jacuzzi suites.  All the guestrooms are fresh and modern with flat screen televisions and new furnishings in a mocha décor complementing the signature white bedding.

"Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travelers," said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Management, The Americas, IHG.  "With more than 2,000 properties worldwide and hundreds more in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to provide our guests with an enhanced-stay experience at a great value.  We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family."

The new hotel exemplifies the $1 billion Holiday Inn relaunch, the biggest ever project of its kind in the history of the hospitality industry. First announced in 2007, the relaunch program creates a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom and guest bath comfort and a redesigned logo and signage.

"We are excited about joining the Holiday Inn family and being able to provide visitors to the Los Angeles area with outstanding service and a fresh look at a great value for our guests," said General Manager Javier Barajas. “Following our renovation and our brand transformation to a Holiday Inn Express, we are now the only mid-scale property in our area.”

Located at 611 S. Westlake Ave. and situated close to Hollywood and Beverly Hills and just minutes from the Los Angeles fashion district, the new Holiday Inn Express Los Angeles Downtown West is close to several entertainment venues, including the Nokia Center L.A. Live, Staples Center and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Guests can be at the beach or in the mountains within a half hour drive from the hotel.

For business travelers, the hotel is located near offices of Kaiser Permanente, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Bank of America. It is also near the University of Southern California and the offices of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 

Guests can access free high-speed wireless Internet connections in guest rooms, the lobby as well as in the hotel’s 24-hour business center. There is also an 800-square foot meeting room as well as a fitness center and outdoor pool.

Conveniently located just off Wilshire Boulevard between the Hollywood and Santa Monica freeways, the new Holiday Inn Express offers guests a comfortable, yet affordable, business or leisure stay with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a pleasurable experience. The hotel's complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar features a full range of breakfast items including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit, pancakes and the brand's proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee. The SimplySmartTM shower incorporates a proprietary Stay SmartTM Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products.  Guests will enjoy the SimplySmartTM bedding collection where they will find crisp fresh bedding, which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

Guest rooms have been completely refreshed and offer new furniture including comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast® 100% Arabica coffee.  Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, free local and toll free phones with private voicemail and complimentary USA TODAY® newspapers.

The Holiday Inn Express Los Angeles Downtown West is owned and managed by Titan Management, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-HOLIDAY or by going to www.hiexpress.com.

Holiday Inn Express participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards.  The industry's first and largest guest loyalty program has 60 million members.  Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.

About Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express hotels are modern hotels for value-oriented travelers.  Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers.  Guests Stay Smart® at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls (US and Canada only).  There are currently more than 2,000 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe.  For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit http://www.hiexpress.com/.

Media Contacts:
Sherry Telford, Holiday Inn Express, [email protected], +1(770) 604-2613
Sarah-Ann Soffer, Holiday Inn Express, [email protected], +1(770) 604-2707

Notes to Editors:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global company operating seven 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®. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program with almost 60 million members worldwide.

IHG is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms and franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,400 hotels and more than 656,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories, and has more than 1,100 hotels in its development pipeline.  

IHG expects to recruit around 160,000 people worldwide over the next few years and is committed to gender balance throughout its business. We aspire to continue retaining a minimum of 25% female representation on the Board.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.priorityclub.com for more on Priority Club Rewards. For our latest news, visit www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihgplc or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

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