13 March 2012
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston North Intercontinental Opens Near Airport
Recently Renovated Hotel Features a Contemporary New Look
ATLANTA – IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] announces the opening of the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston North Intercontinental. The 109-room hotel, which includes 50 suites, is ideally located just off Interstate 45 close to major shopping, sports and entertainment venues. Formerly a Guesthouse Inn & Suites, the hotel underwent a major renovation, giving it a more modern and up-to-date look.
As the newest Holiday Inn Express & Suites in the Houston area, the hotel offers a free shuttle to George Bush Intercontinental Airport as well as locations within five miles of the hotel. Among the nearby attractions are the Greenpoint Mall, Splash Tower Water Park and Sam Houston Race Track. Also nearby are the shops in Old Town Spring, the Woodland Mall and Houston River Front. Several of North Houston’s many popular restaurants are also within walking distance.
The new hotel includes features in keeping with the $1 billion Holiday Inn relaunch, the largest 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.
"Holiday Inn Express & Suites 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 & Suites portfolio continues to provide our guests with an enhanced-stay experience at a great value. We welcome this new hotel into the Holiday Inn family."
With its North Houston location close to several major corporations, including Baker Hughes, Nabors Drilling, Smith International, Exterran, Exxon-Mobil and Continental Airlines, the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston North Intercontinentalis a perfect location for business travelers. The hotel offers free high-speed wireless Internet connections throughout the hotel, a 24-hour business center and more than 1,000 square feet of flexible meeting space for up to 75 people. Other amenities at the property include a state-of-the-art fitness center and an outdoor pool and whirlpool.
“We’re excited to be joining the Holiday Inn brand family and to be able to provide visitors to the area with outstanding service and a great value,” said Upendra Patel, general manager, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston North Intercontinental. “Holiday Inn Express is relevant for today’s traveler and the updates we’ve completed throughout the entire hotel provide a relaxing and convenient lodging experience.”
Guests will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative, preferred-guest upgrades to ensure a productive stay while traveling for business or leisure. 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 and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee.
The SimplySmart™shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ 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 SimplySmart™ bedding collection, where they will find new 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. All rooms include granite countertops and an urban design scheme with a mix of green and java-colored furnishings. Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, free local and toll-free phone service with private voicemail and complimentary USA TODAY® newspapers.
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston North Intercontinental is owned by OPA Hospitality Inc. and managed by OPA Hospitality 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 63 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 organization 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 over 63 million members worldwide.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,400 hotels and more than 658,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories, and has more than 1,100 hotels in its development pipeline.
IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 new people worldwide across its estate 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.