Singapore, 18 February 2013: Holiday Inn Express has opened their first property on Phuket Island, providing savvy leisure travellers with affordable comfort in a prime central location. Offering relaxed, hassle-free accommodation without comprising on quality, Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central has all the characteristics that guests expect of the trusted global brand.

The 277-room hotel defines smart travel by combining comfort and convenience with proximity and price. Only a few steps from Patong Beach, the island’s most popular and well-developed beach, Phuket’s first Holiday Inn Express is also located close to a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options. In addition to comfortable guestrooms with high-quality bedding and private balconies, situated away from the bustle of Patong’s nightlife, guests can also enjoy a wide range of facilities including a 24-hour fitness room and a stunning swimming pool.

“Today’s savvy traveller is looking for quality accommodation in a prime location and Holiday Inn Express offers the most important elements guests look for in a hotel without the frills”, said Jonathan Mills, Head of Operations, Holiday Inn Express and IHG Shared Services Asia Australasia. “This is the formula of the brand’s success across the world and we are confident that Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central is well-poised to meet the demands of this growing segment in one of Thailand’s most popular leisure destinations.”

Guests staying at Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central will enjoy the following offerings:

• Complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar – Guests can kick-start their day at the breakfast bar with all the staples expected from a breakfast buffet, while those strapped for time may grab a quick muffin and pack a coffee from the hotel’s Grab & Go counter for a great start to the morning.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi – The modern traveller relies on the Internet as a go-to resource for travel information. With Wi-Fi connectivity in both guestrooms as well as throughout the hotel’s public areas, guests can stay connected all day, everyday.
• Strategic location – Conveniently located at the heart of key leisure districts and steps away from great dining, shopping and entertainment options.
• Smart fundamentals – All guestrooms are equipped with an invigorating 3-head massage showerhead, high-quality bedding including 200-thread-count sheets and duvet, a choice of soft and firm pillows, 32” LCD TV, as well as an efficient work space.
• Amenities - Guests are empowered with facilities and services, which they may use if they need: Self-service laundry room, self-serve vending machines, gym facilities and takeaway services. Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central offers business guests access to a compact meeting room and self-service business centre, as well as in-room desks.

All Holiday Inn Express guests can also earn and redeem points at over 4,500 hotels globally through IHG’s Priority Club® Rewards programme.

The launch of Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central underscores the brand’s commitment to expanding its footprint in Asia. The brand will add another two hotels – Holiday Inn Express Pattaya Central and Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 – in Thailand later in the year. There are currently 39 Holiday Inn Express properties and 57 more in the pipeline across Asia, making the brand one of the fastest growing and largest in the region.

For more information, visit www.holidayinnexpress.com.

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.