Kincardine, Ontario (November 2, 2010) – IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, announces the opening of the Holiday Inn Express® & Suites Kincardine. The hotel is part of an overall IHG effort to best meet the needs of business and leisure travellers to this area.
 
The property will also showcase the Holiday Inn Express brand’s new sign, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program. First announced in 2007, the relaunch program was established to create 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. The global estate of more than 3,400 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010, and nearly 2800 hotels have already been relaunched to date.
 
The relaunch focuses on the things research shows matter most to guests - a modern, contemporary hotel with efficient, friendly service and a great night's sleep.  Relaunched hotels such as the Holiday Inn Express Kincardine feature:

• Upgraded and decluttered lobby areas
• A Holiday Inn Express signature scent and sound
• New exterior lighting
• New signage with the redesigned logo
• All Holiday Inn employees also go through an extensive "Stay Real" training program to ensure guests receive the level of service they expect.
  

“We are thrilled to welcome this property to the Holiday Inn family of hotels with the brand new sign and everything it represents.  Holiday Inn hotels are specifically designed for business and family oriented leisure travelers in need of a full-service lodging experience, and this property fits well within that offering,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Delivery, the Americas, IHG. “Development in Canada is important in expanding our Holiday Inn consumer base and growing an even stronger presence across the Americas.”
 
Located in the Kincardine suburb the 70-room hotel is found within the same business plaza as Tim Horton’s, Sobey’s, Canadian Tire, Meridian Bank and Boston Pizza locations. The property is accessible to businesses such as Bruce Power and Ontario Wind Generations, as well as nearby attractions such as Station Beach and Bruce Power Visitor Centre, making the hotel a convenient option for both business and leisure travelers alike.
 
Guests at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kincardine will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a productive stay while travelling for business or leisure. The hotel’s newly enhanced complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar will feature a full selection of hot breakfast bar items such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage patties, omelettes 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 also 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.

In addition to the standard amenities, the Kincardine property offers standard wireless services throughout the hotel and wired high speed internet as a second option for all guestrooms. Each room also features a kitchenette with microwave, fridge, separate living room and two phones. Guests of the hotel can also take advantage of the hotel’s fitness centre, whirlpool and 1,200 (square) feet of meeting space, which seats 40 people. The hotel guest rooms also feature the standard Holiday Inn Express amenities, such as 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 travellers will find large desks,
ergonomic chairs, free high-speed internet access, free local and toll free phone calls (U.S. and Canada only) and phones with private voicemail. 
 
“We are very excited to be opening our doors,” said Cynthia Romanyk, general manager of Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kincardine.  “We have invested in this property with the goal of providing visitors of the area with a hotel that is convenient while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere with all the latest in comfort, and we are very pleased with the end result.” 
 
Holiday Inn Express hotels participate in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has 48 million members.  Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on www.priorityclub.com, calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s nearly 4,400 hotels worldwide.
 
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kincardine is owned by David Hornstein, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 2 Millenium Way, Kincardine, ON N2Z 0B5. Telephone: 705-541-9510.

About Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express hotels are modern hotels for value-oriented travellers.  Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travellers.  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 (this is 2,100)  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 www.hiexpress.com. 

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms.  IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, over 4,400 hotels and more than 650,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world.  The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected 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® and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 48 million members worldwide.
                                                                                                                            
IHG has 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 160,000 jobs worldwide 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.
 
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 www.ihg.com/media