ATLANTA—InterContinental Hotels Group announced the next evolution of its Holiday Inn Express brand prototype for U.S. and Canadian markets, a design that is cost-neutral and focuses more on flexible space and smoother operating efficiencies, executives said during a media event Thursday unveiling the prototype.
After a brand relaunch in 2008 that required a few development tweaks but focused mainly on marketing the brand via new signage and commercials, IHG officials felt a new development prototype was necessary to keep the brand relevant with owners.
“This is a turnkey, full-blown solution that will give Holiday Inn Express a competitive advantage,” said Punit Shah, president and CEO of Liberty Group, who has ownership interest in several Holiday Inn Express hotels and served on an ownership committee to shape the direction of the prototype.
IHG worked directly with the owners, as well as guest focus groups, to better understand what exactly guests wanted and deliver a “smart and simple experience for guests,” executives said.
One major focus for the new Holiday Inn Express guestroom was to include features that help reduce outside noise so guests can get a better nights’ sleep, said Jennifer Gribble, head of the Holiday Inn Express Brand in the Americas region. The key feature in that regard is a sliding barn-style door which blocks off the sleeping area from the bathroom area and “refreshment space,” helping drown out noise and block light from the hotel’s hallway.
The Great Room, a multi-purpose space in the lobby of the hotel, will feature an integrated business center, flexible meeting/breakfast bar space and additional seating, both indoor and outdoor, depending on the market, executives said.
The first retrofitted version of the new prototype will open later this year, according to executives.
Asad Malik, president and CEO of Amerilodge Group and another Holiday Inn Express owner, said he appreciated the collaboration between IHG and its owners, particularly the insight he was able to offer regarding the unique design decisions.
Shah and Malik said they worked hard to keep the prototype to where it would cost the same per key to develop as the current Holiday Inn Express model.
“I think a lot of us have been waiting for a new prototype,” Malik said, adding that Amerilodge has eight Holiday Inn Express properties in its pipeline over the next two years.
With the intention of creating greater efficiencies and optimizing return on investment for new and existing Holiday Inn Express hotel owners, the updated prototype design will provide owners with a full set of architecture, engineering and interior design construction documents for the first time. These documents will be available in the second quarter.
“We want to make sure that we have a concept or scheme so that if someone is renovating an existing (Holiday Inn Express), they can include these important elements,” said Joel Eisemann, chief development officer for IHG. “Some walls might need to be moved in order to accommodate but we think it can be done.”
The new prototype was designed in a modular way so that existing linear or L-shaped properties can easily retrofit the changes, Gribble said.