Holiday Inn Express

Last updated

Holiday Inn Express
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Hotels
Founded1990;34 years ago (1990)
Number of locations
2,826 (2019)
Area served
Worldwide
Owner IHG Hotels & Resorts
Parent Holiday Inn
Website www.hiexpress.com

Holiday Inn Express is an American-based mid-priced hotel chain within the IHG Hotels & Resorts family of brands. Originally founded as an "express" hotel, their focus is on offering limited services at a reasonable price. Standard amenities lean toward the convenient and practical which cater to business travelers and short-term stays. As of September 2019, there are 2,826 Holiday Inn Express hotels featuring over 292,000 rooms worldwide. [1] The chain's concept was intended to target the "upper economy" market segment. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

In Europe, the hotels were known as Express by Holiday Inn, [6] but this variation was phased out during a rebranding which was announced in 2006.

History

Holiday Inn Express in Onalaska Holiday Inn Express.jpg
Holiday Inn Express in Onalaska
Holiday Inn Express in London Holiday Inn Express at Chingford, London.jpg
Holiday Inn Express in London

Holiday Inn Express was founded in 1990 under the ownership of Bass. [7] Plans at the time called for 250 locations to be open by 1995. [8] The first three hotels under the Holiday Inn Express name all opened in 1990. These were located in Nashville, Tennessee; Abilene, Texas; and Poughkeepsie, New York. All three were converted from existing Holiday Inn properties. [9]

In 1996, the brand's first European location opened in Scotland. [8]

Starting in 1998, Holiday Inn Express started an ad campaign that featured ordinary people achieving superior feats, such as averting a nuclear disaster or performing like rock stars. When questioned on whether or not they are professionals, they would attribute their skills to their stay there with the reply: "No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!" The commercials originally ended with the tag line "It won't make you smarter. But you'll feel smarter." which was changed to "Stay smart, Stay at Holiday Inn Express." in 2000. The ads were created by Fallon Minneapolis, a unit of the French Publicis Group. [7] These ads have received positive reviews, and have been so successful they have crossed over into popular culture, having been featured in late night comedian jokes and political cartoons. [10] The ad campaign continued to air until 2009. It was revived in 2014 with new ads featuring comedian Jim Gaffigan. [11] In 2015, ads featuring comedian Rob Riggle were produced. [12]

Properties

Typical Holiday Inn Express hotels are built from corporate architectural prototypes, and tend to consist of 60–80 rooms, with a mix of suites and standard rooms in North American properties. Because the chain has been undergoing tremendous growth, the majority of Holiday Inn Express hotels are brand new or newly renovated. [13] [14] [15]

The original Holiday Inn Express properties are considered two-star hotels or no-frills hotels with rooms comparable in quality to those of three-star hotel, but there would be no room service, restaurant, bar, swimming pool, health club, conference and meeting facilities nor other on-site amenities, offering only a continental breakfast and an exercise room. Newer Holiday Inn Express locations feature most amenities from the higher-end Holiday Inn brand, such as a restaurant and bar, conference rooms, and even a full fitness center with a swimming pool, making them both three-star hotels. The major differentiation between the brands continues to be location, with Express properties typically found in suburbs and along freeways, while the regular Holiday Inns are placed in urban areas (including downtown) and often near tourist attractions.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel</span> Establishment that provides lodging paid on a short-term basis

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refrigerator, and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a television, and en-suite bathrooms. Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only the most basic guest services and facilities. Larger, higher-priced hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a swimming pool, a business center with computers, printers, and other office equipment, childcare, conference and event facilities, tennis or basketball courts, gymnasium, restaurants, day spa, and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high-end hotels have custom decorated rooms. Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In Japan, capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities.

Holiday Inn is a chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003), who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee. The chain was a division of Bass Brewery from 1988-2000, Six Continents from 2000-03, and IHG Hotels & Resorts since 2003. It operates hotels under the names Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and Holiday Inn Resorts. As of 2018, Holiday Inn has hotels at over 1,100 locations.

Motel 6 is an American chain of motels with locations in the United States and Canada. The chain was founded in Santa Barbara, California, in 1962 by William W. Becker and Paul Greene, and derives its name from the fact that rooms initially cost only six dollars.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), marketed as IHG Hotels & Resorts, is a British multinational hospitality company headquartered in Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. It is also a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowne Plaza</span> Hotel chain

Crowne Plaza is a multinational chain of full service, upscale hotels headquartered in the United Kingdom. It caters to the business, leisure and blended travel market usually located in city centers, resorts, coastal towns or near major airports. The brand is part of IHG Hotels & Resorts family of brands, which include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, and operates in nearly 100 countries with more than 400 hotels and 110,000 bedrooms,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">InterContinental</span> Brand of luxury hotels

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is a British-American luxury hotel brand created in 1946 by Pan Am founder Juan Trippe. It has been part of UK-based InterContinental Hotels Group since 1998. As of January 2023, there were 208 InterContinental hotels worldwide, with 70,287 rooms.

Ramada is a large American multinational hotel chain owned by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. As of December 31, 2022, it operates 851 hotels with 120,344 rooms across 63 countries under the Ramada brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy Suites by Hilton</span> Luxury all-suite hotel chain run by Hilton Worldwide

Embassy Suites by Hilton is a chain of all-suite hotels trademarked by Hilton Worldwide. As of December 2019, there are 257 locations in five countries and territories with 59,712 rooms. Similar to other Hilton brands, 212 Embassy Suites hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees with 47,930 rooms, while 45 locations are managed with 11,782 rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampton by Hilton</span> Hotel chain

Hampton by Hilton, formerly Hampton Inn or Hampton Inn & Suites, is an American chain of hotels trademarked by Hilton Worldwide. The Hampton hotel brand is a chain of moderately priced, budget to midscale limited service hotels with limited food and beverage facilities. Most Hampton hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees, though a few are managed by Hilton. Hampton by Hilton is one of the largest hotel franchises in the U.S. As of March 2024, the Hampton franchise includes 3,000 hotels in 40 countries and territories.

Homewood Suites by Hilton is an American chain of all-suite residential-style hotels owned by Hilton Worldwide. As of December 2019, the chain consists of 505 hotels in 4 countries and territories with 57,545 rooms. 490 Homewood Suites hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees with 55,899 rooms, while 15 hotels are managed with 1,646 rooms. Homewood Suites competes in the upscale tier of the extended-stay market, along with Staybridge Suites by IHG and Residence Inn by Marriott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfield by Marriott</span> Economy hotel chain run by Marriott International

Fairfield by Marriott is a franchised economy to midscale hotel brand of Marriott International. The properties target guests willing to accept fewer amenities for lower prices. Cost-saving measures included standardized building architecture and bedding, and the absence of a full-service restaurant, but a complimentary hot breakfast.

Premier Inn Limited is a British limited service hotel chain and the UK's largest hotel brand, with more than 800 hotels, with over 72,000 rooms. It operates hotels in a variety of locations including city centres, suburbs and airports, competing with the likes of Travelodge and Ibis hotels. The company was established by Whitbread as Travel Inn in 1987, to compete with Travelodge. Whitbread bought Premier Lodge in July 2004 and merged it with Travel Inn to form the current business under the name Premier Travel Inn, which was then shortened to the current name in October 2007. Premier Inn accounts for 70% of Whitbread's earnings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawthorn Suites</span> American hotel chain

Hawthorn Suites is a chain of hotels in the United States owned by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apartment hotel</span> Type of serviced apartment complex

An apartment hotel or aparthotel is a serviced apartment complex that uses a hotel-style booking system. It is similar to renting an apartment, but with no fixed contracts and occupants can "check out" whenever they wish, subject to the applicable minimum length of stay imposed by the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowne Plaza Belgrade</span> Hotels in New Belgrade, Serbia

Crowne Plaza Belgrade is a four-star hotel located in New Belgrade, Serbia. With its 387 rooms and 29 suites, it is the biggest hotel in the city in terms of capacity.

Regent Hotels & Resorts is a British-American luxury hospitality brand, founded by hotelier Robert H. Burns in 1970. After passing through different owners since foundation, it is currently jointly owned by IHG Hotels & Resorts and Formosa International Hotels Corporation since July 2018, with hotels and resorts in Asia and Europe.

The Susse Chalet brand was a chain of franchise hotels with all locations in the United States in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states. Hotels featured free local calls, dataports, expanded cable television, and continental breakfast. Most properties offered meeting facilities and swimming pool. The chain was sold in 2000 and the brand phased out shortly after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IHG Army Hotels</span> American hotel company

IHG Army Hotels is a collection of private-sector hotels located on Army installations and Joint Bases throughout the United States. It is the result of a partnership between IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), Holiday Inn Express (IHG), and Lendlease. This partnership was formed in response to the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program by the United States Army. The army's request for qualifications (RFQ) sought to fulfill specific requirements that included improving the quality of on-post lodgings throughout the U.S., Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. This RFQ sought entities with experience in the management of room inventory and hotel service, expertise in construction, and financing experience relating to the upgrades and renovations of existing on-post Army lodgings. The United States Army awarded the PAL program to Lendlease with a 50-year lease deal, and IHG, with a 25-year management agreement with options to extend. As part of the RFP agreement, these hotels provide lodging to service members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, government and civilian contractors, military families, veterans, civilians and retirees. There are 76 IHG-branded hotels with about 11,600 rooms located on Army bases in the U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Avid Hotels is a midscale hotel brand launched in 2017 by IHG Hotels & Resorts.

ANA Hotels is a Japanese hotel chain established in 1973 by All Nippon Airways (ANA). In October 2006, ANA sold majority ownership of ANA Hotels to the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), which is now the primary shareholder. The managed properties of ANA Hotels are marketed under the ANA InterContinental, ANA Crowne Plaza, ANA Hotels and ANA Holiday Inn brands.

References

  1. "Holiday Inn Express". development.ihg.com. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  2. "Our History". InterContinental Hotels Group. 8 June 2010. Archived from the original on 11 March 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  3. Wade, Betsy (16 December 1990). "On the Road, Sleeping for Less". The New York Times .
  4. "You get what you pay for in economy motels". The News and Courier/Evening Post, Charleston, SC. 11 November 1990.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. "Holiday Inn enters new market area". Daily News, Bowling Green, Kentucky. 8 October 1990.
  6. "InterContinental's UK arm boosted by business travel upturn". Scotsman. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 27 May 2005. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  7. 1 2 StreetJournal, Motoko RichStaff Reporter of The Wall (24 July 2000). "Holiday Inn Express Aims to Hone Image With Nontraditional New Ad Campaign". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Holiday Inn Express factsheet" (PDF). InterContinental. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  9. "Holiday Inn unveils plans to strengthen lodging chain". The Commercial Appeal . 5 October 1990. pp. B3. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  10. Howard, Theresa (16 July 2001). "Slogan's buzz fuels hotel's biz". USA Today. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  11. Levere, Jane L. (3 September 2014). "Holiday Inn Express Tries Funny to Sell Free Breakfast". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  12. "Holiday Inn Express® Brand Hires Actor/Comedian Rob Riggle as Creative Director and Breakfast Excellence Honcho". InterContinental Hotels Group PLC. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  13. "Hotel owner adds 2 properties from defunct chain". The Daytona Beach News-Journal . 10 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  14. "New owner seeks to return hotel to prominence". The Daytona Beach News-Journal . 24 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  15. "Holiday Inn tweaks its brand to lure guests". Orlando Sentinel . 26 September 2010.