Holiday Inn Express to Open in Comox Valley, Canada

Property to feature new sign and brand standards as part of the worldwide brand relaunch.

• 
  SAVE
• 
  SHARE
• 
  TEXT SIZE
• 
  PRINT
• 
  COMMENT
• 
  PDF

. April 08, 2009

APRIL 08, 2009 - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced today that the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Courtenay Comox Valley SW in British Columbia has opened. The new-build property will showcase the 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 3,200 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010.

Elements of the relaunch for Holiday Inn Express include:

Redesigned Brand Signage

An evolution of the iconic script logo, energizing the signature color green and eliminating the current shield shape for a more refreshed and contemporary look.

Warm Welcome

A new signature arrival - including new lighting, landscaping and design features - that creates an energized and branded sense of welcome that is universally recognizable. Customized music and scent selections also engage guests in a complete sensory experience, and a decluttered front desk to promote a more efficient and interactive check-in process.

New Service Promise

A best-in-class service culture - "Stay Real" - to further ensure the team develops the behaviors and skills to best serve guests so they feel like individuals and not numbers. Genuine people delivering real service. Leading the charge will be a newly created position at each hotel - the Guest Experience Champion.

The 91-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites Courtenay Comox Valley SW is nestled on scenic Vancouver Island and accessible by land, sea or air. The hotel is located close to Mt. Washington and is minutes away from several beautiful golf courses, shops and restaurants. The area is full of activities and sights, making it a great location for group meetings. Visitors can enjoy scuba diving, boating, adventure tours or take in a local vineyard. Guests will be within a short driving distance of Comox Valley's downtown core and the airport, making the Holiday Inn Express hotel a convenient option for both business and leisure travellers alike.

Guests at the Holiday Inn Express 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(R) breakfast bar will feature a full selection of breakfast items including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurts, fruit and the brand's proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast(R) coffee. The SimplySmartTM shower incorporates a proprietary Stay SmartTM 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 SimplySmartTM 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.

"Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travellers," said John Merkin, senior vice president, Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands, The Americas. "With more than 1,900 properties worldwide and more than 700 properties in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in markets like Comox Valley, providing our guests with an enhanced stay experience at a great value. We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family with the brand new sign and everything it represents."

Standard Holiday Inn Express hotel guest rooms feature 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 and phones with private voicemail. The new property offers a variety of additional amenities including 32" LCD TVs in all guestrooms, a 24-hour business centre, an indoor heated pool, more than 750 square feet of meeting space and a state-of-the-art fitness centre with an LCD flat panel TV. The hotel also offers 34 King Business Class Suites and one Deluxe Jacuzzi Suite, providing a relaxing and pampering oasis with a king bed, living room, fireplace, Jacuzzi and work desk with padded chair.

"Holiday Inn Express hotels are fresh, clean and convenient for travellers," said Lynn Larsen, General Manager, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Courtenay Comox Valley SW. "We invested $11.5 million to build this property with the goal of providing a comfortable atmosphere in a beautiful area of British Columbia, while offering the tools our guests need to ensure a productive stay, and we're pleased with the end result."

Holiday Inn Express hotels participate in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards. The industry's first and largest guest loyalty program has 42 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 more than 4,150 hotels worldwide.

The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Courtenay Comox Valley SW is owned by Bayview Hotel Group Ltd. and managed by Hospitality Inns Ltd., under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 2200 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, British Columbia V9N 2L4. Telephone: 778.225.0010.