ATLANTA (June 3, 2008) � The new Holiday Inn sign introduced
in 2007 is making its way around the world. And today, IHG reveals the
first 60 properties to receive this green beacon of hospitality, with plans
for it to reach one-third of the Holiday Inn system, or 1,000 hotels, by
year end.
.
The new sign is the seal of approval for guests that the hotel exemplifies
the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program established
to create a more contemporary brand image, increase quality and service,
and drive consistency. Among the first hotels to receive the sign as part
of the relaunch is the newly constructed Holiday Inn-Manhattan 6th Avenue,
which opens its doors to guests June 12.
�We have set an aggressive pace to relaunch our complete estate of nearly
3,200 hotels, 413,406 guest rooms and 11,000 signs by the beginning of
2010 in the Americas and by the end of 2010 for the global estate,� said
Mark Snyder, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Brand Management for Holiday
Inn. �And with one of the first hotels being in a market like New
York City, we are boldly proclaiming that we are off and running on our
journey to make every Holiday Inn hotel as great as our best one.�
Since announcing the global relaunch, IHG has signed more than 250
new Holiday Inn development deals. These new deals bring the total
Holiday Inn pipeline to more than 1,000 hotels globally and 904 in the
Americas, which is a 20-year high for the brand.
�We just completed an 18-city tour of the Americas to meet with our
owners � providing them with a forum to ask their hardest questions about
the relaunch � and the response has been overwhelmingly positive,� said
John Merkin, senior vice president of brand management for Holiday Inn,
Americas. �We believe the 20-year record signings pace we are experiencing
is proof of a truly mutual commitment to ensuring that Holiday Inn remains
the most recognized and most popular hotel brand in the world.�
The first hotels selected to take part in the relaunch represent a cross
section of the brand�s estate, with both new and existing Holiday Inn and
Holiday Inn Express hotels of varying sizes and styles. The hotels
are in markets that range from urban city centers like Pittsburgh and Dallas,
to destinations like Destin Fla. and Charleston, S.C.
. |
Holiday Inn-Manhattan 6th Avenue
125 West 26th Street
New York City, New York
|
New York City represents the largest of these markets. And the Holiday
Inn-Manhattan 6th Avenue provides a significant opportunity to introduce
the new look, feel and service of the brand to the city�s more than 20
million annual visitors and 8 million residents. The newly constructed,
24-story hotel is located at 125 West 26th Street, in the thriving Manhattan
neighborhood of Chelsea. With a contemporary style and fresh, natural color
palette, the hotel personifies the brand�s new design philosophy. The exterior
and lobby areas provide a warm welcome with the new identity and signature
scent and sounds. And its 226 guest rooms feature the brand�s signature
bedding and bathroom amenities. The Holiday Inn-Manhattan 6th Ave. is the
20th Holiday Inn property in New York City market; with an additional 10
in the pipeline � five of which are in Manhattan.
 Brand
Relaunch Program Elements Include:
Redesigned Brand Signage
An evolution of the iconic script logo, energizing the signature color
green and eliminating the current shield shape for a more refreshed and
contemporary look.
Refreshed Guest Room
New bedding that redefines 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 that features an improved showerhead
offering 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 � that creates an energized and branded sense of welcome that
is universally recognizable. Customized music and scent selections
also engage guests in a complete sensory experience, and a decluttered
front desk to promote a more efficient and interactive check-in process.
New Service Promise
A best-in-class service culture � �Stay Real� � to further ensure the
team develops the behaviors and skills to best serve guests so they feel
like individuals and not numbers. Genuine people delivering real service.
Leading the charge, will be a newly created position at each hotel � the
Guest Experience Champion.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG
(ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms.
IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries,
almost 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries
and territories around the world The Group owns a portfolio of well
recognised 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 programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million
members worldwide.
IHG pioneered the travel industry�s first collaborative
response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels
and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The environment and local communities
remain at the heart of IHG�s global corporate responsibility focus. We�re
the first major hotel group to have measured our environmental and carbon
footprints and we�re in the process of setting reduction targets.
With more than 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline,
IHG needs to find around 150,000 people over the next few years to meet
its global expansion plans.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the group's holding
company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England
and Wales. |
