HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS brand from IHG Hotels & Resorts has reached a milestone of more than 3,000 hotels across the globe, a statement said. The brand accounts for more than a third of IHG’s global pipeline, and nearly 650 properties are expected to open in the coming years.
According to the statement, Holiday Inn Express opened 100 new hotels every year and now offers 300,000 rooms in 2100 cities. Columbus, Georgia-based RAM Hotels, owns four Holiday Inn Express properties and Mitesh “Matt” Patel, executive vice president, described it as a power brand.
“Holiday Inn express is and has always been a power brand. It performs very well in the markets we own them in,” he said. “We always set Hampton as a benchmark for our Holiday Inn Express and tend to drive comparable RevPAR to Hampton Inn brand. Our Holiday Inn Express did very well during the pandemic and recovered within two to three months post pandemic.”
Patel said he is a fan of the brand’s new Formula Blue design.
“That is one of the reasons why we are interested in developing more Holiday Inn Express hotels,” he said. “Until now we have only acquired Holiday Inn Express, this will be the first one we will build.”
The brand celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and continues to attract hotel owners as it expands to new markets, including its first signing in Japan.
“Holiday Inn Express was created to challenge the travel industry with a belief in the power of simple, smart travel. Our owners benefit from strong occupancy levels, our purposeful contemporary design and strong performance that continued throughout the pandemic,” said Stephanie Atiase, vice president at IHG and global brand head for Holiday Inn Express. “Now, after developing strong guest loyalty, we mark a significant milestone with more than 3,000 hotels across 50 countries with dedicated hotel colleagues passionate about service. As we look to the future and welcome a new generation of travelers, we’ll continue to deliver a great sleep experience, our beloved Express Start breakfast while also innovating in ways that matter the most to our customers.”
Since 2019, Holiday Inn Express has opened 11 new hotels in Florida alone. The brand has charted 5 percent growth in openings in the Americas region since 2019.
To celebrate the milestone, IHG Hotel & Resorts is offering 300,000 IHG Rewards points to the person with the winning social video submission on “Why you love Holiday Inn Express.” The next top ten submissions will receive 3,000 IHG Rewards points.
Earlier this month, IHG started signing franchise agreements for its Vignette Collection.
