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ATLANTA (October 23, 2007) – From its annual Americas Investors and Leadership Conference in Dallas, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announces a worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn® brand family, comprised of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express®.
All Holiday Inn hotels will be required to implement the relaunch program to create a more contemporary brand image, increase quality and drive consistency. The program includes a new service promise, a redesigned welcome experience, a refreshed guest room and redesigned brand signage that will be installed at hotels once all criteria have been met. Holiday Inn hotels currently open or under development are expected to have implemented the relaunch program by the end of 2010, with the first due to open in spring 2008 in the United States.
“The Holiday Inn brand family comprises nearly a quarter of the industry’s midscale lodging segment in the United States and is the most ‘stayed-in’ hotel brand in the world with roughly 100 million room nights a year, so ensuring the continued strength and power of this global icon is a top priority for IHG,” said Andy Cosslett, Chief Executive Officer for IHG. “This relaunch will ensure the brand moves into the future with a strong and confident new image so our guests get as much enjoyment from Holiday Inn hotels over the next 50 years as they have over the
last 50.”
Established in 1952, Holiday Inn is one of the world’s most recognized hotel brands with more than 400,000 rooms (3,125 hotels) open and a development pipeline of more than 110,000 rooms (942 hotels). This development pipeline continues to grow rapidly, with more than 16,000 rooms signed in the third quarter of 2007, a 6% increase on Q3 2006.
By better delivering on guest needs and expectations, IHG expects the relaunch program to allow Holiday Inn hotels to generate significantly higher revenue per available room (RevPAR), and generate an enhanced return on investment for their owners. Owners and franchisees will invest up to $1 billion over a three year period in total to carry out the brand relaunch to meet the required service and quality levels.
“As always, we have worked in close collaboration with our owners around the world on these efforts to ensure we have their buy-in every step of the way,” said Mark Snyder, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Brand Management for Holiday Inn. “Our franchisees are proud of their affiliation with the Holiday Inn brand and believe in its strength, and our record development pipeline is proof. They agree this is the right thing to do to make this great brand fit for future generations.”
The brand relaunch program includes:
Redesigned Brand Signage
Holiday Inn is making dramatic changes to its signage – evolving the iconic script logo, energizing the signature color green and eliminating the current shield shape. The brand will replace more than 11,000 signs around the world to reflect this refreshed and contemporary look. The redesigned brand signage also will be incorporated into design elements in each of the more than 3,100 hotel lobbies and more than 400,000 guest rooms.
Refreshed Guest Room
New bedding will redefine the look and feel of each guest room with fresh, white triple-sheeting and pillows that come in two comfort levels: “soft” and “firm.” An enhanced bathroom will feature an improved showerhead that offers superior pressure, as well as a signature shower curtain with curved rod and new amenities to deliver a consistent bath experience that feels fresh and contemporary.
Warm Welcome
A new signature arrival – including new lighting, landscaping and design features – will create an energized and branded sense of welcome that is universally recognizable. Customized music and scent selections also will engage guests in a complete sensory experience, and a decluttered front desk will promote a more efficient and interactive check-in process.
New Service Promise
Since a differentiated lodging experience cannot be delivered through imagery and product alone, Holiday Inn is committed to providing best-in-class service. As part of the relaunch, the brand will initiate a new service culture – “Stay Real” – to further ensure staff develops the behaviors and skills to best serve guests by treating them as real people and consistently delivering the real, genuine service for which Holiday Inn is known.
About Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group family of brands with global headquarters in the U.K. and Americas headquarters in Atlanta. With more than 1,400 properties worldwide and nearly 1,000 in the U.S., Holiday Inn is the most recognized lodging brand in the world and certainly the most iconic. Since 1952 full-service Holiday Inn hotels have provided the services that business travelers need, while also offering a comfortable, casual atmosphere where vacationing guests can relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming pools, fitness centers, and comfortable lounges. Additional features such as meeting space and onsite business centers, KidSuites® rooms, Holidome® indoor recreation centers, the Kids Eat Free and Kids Stay Free programs and Priority Club Rewards memberships have helped to establish the Holiday Inn brand as “America’s Hotel.” Call 1-800-HOLIDAY or log onto www.holidayinn.com for more information or to book a reservation.
About Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express is the modern hotel 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 Express Start™ breakfast bar, free high-speed internet access, free local phone calls (US only) and the ability to earn Priority Club Rewards points that can be redeemed for great merchandise, airline miles or free stays in more than 3,800 hotels. There are currently nearly 1,700 Holiday Inn Express locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.
About Priority Club Rewards
With more than 33 million members, IHG’s Priority Club Rewards is the first, largest and fastest-growing guest loyalty program in the hotel industry. Winner of the 19th Annual Freddie Awards hotel loyalty Program of the Year for the second consecutive year and named Best Hotel Rewards Program in the World two years running by Global Traveler magazine, Priority Club Rewards offers more sought-after benefits and the greatest ease of use of any hotel loyalty program. Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG’s more than 3,800 hotels worldwide.
Notes to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom [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 3,800 hotels and more than 563,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. IHG owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with over 33 million members worldwide.
The company pioneered the travel industry’s first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The IHEI formed the foundations of the Tourism Partnership launched by the International Business Leaders Forum in 2004, of which IHG is still a member today. The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG’s global corporate responsibility focus.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com.
For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at .
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