Chicago, IL (December 5, 2012) – Tam Woods Hotel, a contemporary, eco-friendly hotel in southern Marin County, Calif., was rebranded as a Holiday Inn Express hotel on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Formerly known as the Larkspur Mill Valley Hotel, the 100-room Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley San Francisco Area recently completed a $4 million renovation and will undergo an additional targeted improvement plan, including a redesign of all guestrooms; a remodeled public space; and extensive improvements to the property’s exterior. The hotels’ renovation is slated for completion shortly after the property’s conversion to the Holiday Inn Express brand.

Located at the base of Mount Tamalpais, Holiday Inn Express is five miles from the northern terminus of the Golden Gate Bridge and 11 miles from downtown San Francisco. The hotel overlooks peaceful and environmentally protected wetlands, numerous bike paths and is within proximity to several of Northern California’s most visited attractions, including Muir Woods, Stinson Beach and the renowned Napa Valley wine country.

The hotel includes features in keeping with the $1 billion Holiday Inn re-launch, the biggest ever project of its kind in the history of the hospitality industry. First announced in 2007, the re-launch 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 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 450 properties in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in markets like San Francisco, providing our guests with a enhanced stay experience at a great value.  We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family with the brand new sign and everything it represents.”

“Our company’s growth and support from ownership puts Ultima Hospitality in a fantastic position to work with an established and credible brand like Holiday Inn Express. The hotel is already highly regarded in the area, and our planned improvements and dedicated management team will place it in a class of its own,” said Nir Liebling, senior vice president, director of acquisitions, Ultima Hospitality.

Each guestroom features contemporary styling, a 42-inch HD flat screen TV, iPod docking station and complimentary wireless Internet access. Many rooms are complete with a spacious deck or patio. Additional amenities include a heated outdoor pool area with an expansive deck, private cabanas, a whirlpool spa and an outdoor fire pit. A business center, modern fitness center and multiple meeting and event spaces are also available. During their stay guests enjoy daily breakfast, bicycle rentals, welcome beverages at check-in and s’mores kits each evening.

“Our established clientele and new loyal Holiday Inn Express visitors will have a fresh and positive experience that embraces the unique beauty of Marin County,” said Christina Giles, general manager.

Guests at the Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley San Francisco Area 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 StaySmart™ 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 feature 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 high-speed internet access and free local phone and toll free (U.S. and Canada only), phones with private voicemail and complimentary USA TODAY® newspapers.

The Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley San Francisco Area is owned and managed by Ultima Hospitality, under a license agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group. For more information and reservations at Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley San Francisco Area, visit www.hiexpress.com or call 1-888-HOLIDAY.

Holiday Inn Express participates in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards.  The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has 69 million members.  Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-897-0089 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,500 hotels worldwide.

About Ultima Hospitality
Ultima Hospitality is a Chicago-based hospitality management and real estate investment group. As the management arm of Waterton Commercial Properties, Ultima Hospitality manages both full and select-service properties leveraging more than 150 years of experience in hospitality and commercial real estate management among its senior leadership. Ultima Hospitality and its affiliates’ hotel portfolio include the Westin Columbus, OH, Sheraton Madison, WI, Sheraton Framingham, MA, and Doubletree Skokie, IL. A results-driven organization, Ultima Hospitality provides owners and investors with superior capital management, cost containment and extensive resources to ensure successful management in a constantly changing business environment. More information can be found at www.ultimahospitality.com.

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 hotels around the globe.  For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.

About IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organization with nine hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program with over 69 million members worldwide.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,500 hotels and more than 672,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate 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.

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/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.