Orange Lake Resorts and IHG Open New Holiday Inn Express® Hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
First Hotel Developed, Owned and Operated by Orange Lake Resorts
GATLINBURG, TN. August 10, 2016 - Orange Lake Resorts, home to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations® brand, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel companies, announce the opening of the new-build 115-room Holiday Inn Express® hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The new hotel is a first for the 34-year-old vacation ownership company and is located next to the company's Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort. Near the Great Smoky Mountains, this hotel will become a top choice for travelers to the Gatlinburg and Sevierville area.
Hotel guests will also enjoy use of a new indoor pool that includes waterslides, a heated pool and an interactive children's splash zone. The indoor pool area, constructed as part of Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort property's new Signature Collection building, was designed to welcome Holiday Inn Express guests as well. Signature Collection villas feature luxury accommodations meticulously planned to deliver a superior vacation experience in an upscale environment.
“We are excited to open our company's first Holiday Inn Express hotel next door to our popular Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee,” said Orange Lake Resorts CEO Don Harrill. “This is a new step for our company that continues to strengthen our roots and marketing alliance with IHG and the Holiday Inn brand family. Kemmons Wilson founded Holiday Inn Hotels in 1952 and opened his first timeshare property, Orange Lake Resort, 30 years later in Kissimmee, Florida.”
The Holiday Inn Express brand is the smart choice for travelers seeking a hotel that will help them rest and go while staying productive. The more than 2,400 Holiday Inn Express hotels worldwide offer a simple and efficient stay through the uncomplicated, yet personal service travelers expect from the brand.
The Holiday Inn Express Gatlinburg Downtown hotel features the new design solution, which was created to meet the evolving needs of the brand's target guest. The design features an appealing combination of fresh, energetic and engaging elements, creating a distinctive style that is evident at every touch point of the Holiday Inn Express brand experience.
Features of the new design include:
•An open, pod-style front desk area that delivers a familiar and expedited check in and out experience;
•Flexible seating in the Great Room, including community tables with built in wired and wireless charging where guest can collaborate with colleagues or relax with friends and family;
•Refreshingly streamlined guestrooms that provide comforts and features that allow guests to be productive during their stay and have a great night's sleep, including noise-reducing headboard and television tower, multiple points of power conveniently located throughout the room and functional storage allowing guests to live out of their suitcase or unpack into a variety of storage options.
The complimentary Express Start™ breakfast bar offers a full range of breakfast items including a variety of well-known healthy options, such as Chobani® yogurt, whole wheat English muffins, Kellogg's® breakfast cereals, Quaker® oatmeal flavors in cups and a toppings bar for yogurt, cereal and pancakes from the brand's one-touch pancake machine. Additionally, the breakfast bar also offers a wide variety of options including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, fruit, the brand's proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast™ coffee.
The hotel, located at 322 Historic Nature Trail, is owned and managed by Orange Lake Resorts. The Holiday Inn Express brand is part of IHG's diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries and territories. The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands means that its hotels can meet guests' needs whatever the occasion - whether an overnight getaway, a business trip, a family celebration or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-HOLIDAY or by going to IHG.com/HolidayInnExpress.
The Holiday Inn Express brand participates in IHG® Rewards Club. The industry's first and largest hotel rewards program is free, and guests can enroll at IHGRewardsClub.com, by downloading the IHG® App, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG's more than 5,000 hotels worldwide. The hotel also participates in IHG Green Engage® and offers unique programs to ensure sustainability.
About Orange Lake Resorts
Orange Lake Resorts encompasses 26 resorts and 7,400 villas in the U.S., with more than 340,000 timeshare owners and 6,000+ employees. Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the vacation ownership industry with more than three decades of proven success, operates the Holiday Inn Club®. The Holiday Inn Club Vacations® brand was created in 2008 through a strategic alliance with IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies. The Holiday Inn Club Vacations flagship property in Orlando, Fla., located next to the Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn® founder Kemmons Wilson. The timeshare brand includes 22 resorts across 12 states. For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations or to book reservations, visit hiclubvacations.com. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hiclubvacations or Twitter at twitter.com/hiclubvacations.
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 with new healthier offerings, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls (U.S. and Canada only). There are currently 2,456 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, visit www.holidayinnexpress.com.
About IHG
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,000 hotels and nearly 750,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with more than 1,400 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty programme, with more than 96 million members worldwide. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations.
Contact:
Brian Martin
[email protected]
407-395-6925
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
