Shular Companies Opening a "Next-generation" Holiday Inn in Gulfport, MS

America's best-known hotel brand to open with iconic artwork, a new restaurant concept and enhanced

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. October 31, 2008

ATLANTA, GA, October 29, 2008. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms announced today that the 143-room, 21st-century Holiday Inn Gulfport has plans to open November 2008.

The Holiday Inn Gulfport is owned and managed by Shular Companies, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.

Developed to be more efficient to build, operate and maintain, the Holiday Inn Gulfport will bring the iconic heritage of the Holiday Inn brand to life in a modern, innovative design that will set new standards for business travelers and families alike. Holiday Inn's prototype next-generation hotel opened in Duluth, Ga., a few miles north of Atlanta, in January 2004.

"We are proud to welcome the Gulfport, MS property to the Holiday Inn family," said John Merkin, senior vice president, Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands, The Americas. "With this hotel design, Holiday Inn has arrived at the perfect convergence of tradition and innovation that will define the Holiday Inn of the future, offering the value and authenticity business travelers and families expect from this beloved brand. The Holiday Inn Gulfport represents the new face of the brand that is redefining guest comfort in towns across America."

Throughout the hotel, guests will see artwork reflecting memorable images from the Holiday Inn brand history, including founder Kemmons Wilson departing his Holiday Inn jet, a stylized version of the Great Sign - the iconic beacon that came to embody the brand - and the Great Sign as a '50s-style movie set backdrop.

The hotel's full-service restaurant will be Kem's Caf'e, a new concept from Holiday Inn named after the brand's founder, Kemmons Wilson. Kem's Caf'e will serve two meals a day featuring a wide array of "comfort food," including the All American Burger, Top Sour loin Steak and Pizzas for dinner. Kem's Caf'e offers the standard Holiday Inn Best-4-Breakfast? menu, featuring signature items such as Cinnamon Supreme French ToastTM, Low-Carb InspirationsTM and Skillet InspirationsTM. Kids 12 and younger eat free at Holiday Inn when ordering from the kids' menu in the hotel restaurant and accompanied by a dining adult. Room Service Right...On TimeTM, also a standard at all Holiday Inn hotels, ensures that guests' room service orders are accurate and delivered on time, every time.

The hotel design debuts a bold change in room d'ecor for Holiday Inn, creating a residential atmosphere that features iconic representations of the brand's history throughout the hotel. The bedspread and carpet display simple, organic patterns in stand-out colors like Believable Buss and Autumn, and each guestroom features a newly designed breakaway armoire that allows guests to see the TV from anywhere in the room. Upgraded features like faux leather headboards, a variety of lamps, refrigerators and granite vanities will all be standard in each room. The residential design includes business-focused necessities like an ergonomic work station, data ports, complimentary high speed Internet access and Wi-Fi capabilities. In addition, each room will have the standard Holiday Inn guestroom accommodations - comfortable double, queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, 32" Flat Screen Televisions, Direct TV High Definition Channels, hairdryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board.

The Holiday Inn-Gulfport will also offer a variety of other amenities such as indoor heated pool and state of the art fitness center. With over 2,000-sq. ft. of function space, the hotel will also be available for business meetings and banquets.

Conveniently located just off I-10 on Highway 49 in Gulfport, MS, the property will be within walking distance to the Prime Outlet Mall. The sandy beaches of Gulfport are also a short drive from the hotel site.

"A home-away-from-home for generations of travelers, Holiday Inn has always represented quality and comfort, and this new hotel takes the Holiday Inn experience to a whole new level," said Joe Honeycutt, general manager. "We're proud to be a part of the next generation of Holiday Inn. Holiday Inn Gulfport is a well-traveled market and a perfect fit for Gulfport's first Holiday Inn hotel built in the prototype design."

Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards. The industry's first and largest guest loyalty program has over 37 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's almost 4,000 hotels worldwide.