After $1 Million Renovation InterContinental Hotels Group Announces Holiday Inn Express Hotel Openin
ATLANTA, GA, December 2, 2005. InterContinental Hotels Group announced today that the newly renovated 64-room Holiday Inn Express Detroit-Birmingham, recently opened, representing another addition to the mid-scale brand's portfolio of limited-service hotels.
There are now nearly 50 Holiday Inn Express hotels with more than 4,100 guestrooms in the state of Michigan with the addition of the Holiday Inn Express Detroit-Birmingham. The InterContinental Hotels Group portfolio in Michigan is represented by five of its brands, including the upscale, full service, limited service, upscale extended stay and mid-scale extended stay segments with 85 hotels and more than 10,000 rooms.
Guests of the Holiday Inn Express Detroit-Birmingham will be able to take advantage of the Stay Smart(R) experience which is unique to the Holiday Inn Express brand of hotels. The Holiday Inn Express Detroit-Birmingham will offer the brand's hallmark features including the Express Start(R) breakfast bar, which has re-defined the meaning of "free" breakfast bars, Smart Roast(R) In-Room Coffee, Smart ConnectSM Telecommunications, Priority Club(R) Rewards and the SimplySmartTM shower, which is raising the bar on guest expectations of a hotel shower experience.
The revamped Express Start breakfast bar sports a modern branded look-and-feel that delivers a complete breakfast experience similar to that of a breakfast caf'e. A standard at all Holiday Inn Express hotels, the breakfast bar offers Smart Roast 100 percent Arabica coffee and warm indulgent cinnamon rolls prepared with an exclusive recipe developed especially for the Holiday Inn Express brand - as well as traditional morning favorites including fruits, juices, cereals, selected low-carb and protein options and more.
Additionally, guests of the Holiday Inn Express Detroit-Birmingham will experience the new SimplySmart shower which delivers a clean, simple and more functional bath experience. Guests will enjoy an exclusive multi-function showerhead by Kohler(R) designed to compensate for all sorts of water pressure challenges; larger, fluffier 100 percent cotton towels, curved shower rods for more space, and white, hookless shower curtains along with new amenities.
"Holiday Inn Express is designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travelers. As a leader in the segment, we are continuing to stay focused on brand innovation and guest satisfaction," said Verchele Mills, vice president, brand management, Holiday Inn Express. "Holiday Inn Express is pleased to offer our proprietary Express Start breakfast bar, SimplySmart shower program and Smart Connect Telecommunications - all of which address the top priorities of our guests in a hotel stay."
Situated in the heart of downtown Birmingham, the newly renovated property boasts European boutique d'ecor throughout the lobby and guestrooms and offers a variety of other amenities such as in-room DVD players, a fitness center, business center, express checkout and 300 sq.-ft. of meeting space. Standard Holiday Inn Express guest rooms feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, cable television, long-distance access, hairdryer, in room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast 100 percent Arabica coffee, non-stick iron and ironing board. Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, Smart Connect Telecommunications that includes free high-speed internet access and free local phone and toll free (U.S. and Canada only), two phones with private voicemail and complimentary USA Today newspapers. In addition, the Holiday Inn Express Detroit-Birmingham participates in Priority Club Rewards, the world's first and most global hotel loyalty program spanning almost 3,600 hotels in nearly 100 countries. Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests enroll online at www.priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or at the front desk of any Holiday Inn Express hotel.
"More than $1 million has been invested to convert this property from The Hamilton Hotel to a Holiday Inn Express and we are thrilled with the end result," said Shawn Stacey, general manager. "Holiday Inn Express is modern, fresh, clean and uncomplicated and a perfect fit for Birmingham."
The property is just minutes from the Detroit Zoo and the Pontiac Silverdome. The Palace of Auburn Hills and Ford Field are also a short drive from the hotel.
The Holiday Inn Express Detroit-Birmingham is owned and managed by Stacey & Stacey, Inc., under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 35270 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, Mich., 48009. Telephone: (248) 642-6200; Facsimile: (248) 642-6567.
About Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express is the fastest growing hotel brand in the industry, opening on average two hotels a week. Holiday Inn Express adds to its achievements a growing list of industry and consumer accolades. Most recently, Holiday Inn Express has been named one of America's Greatest Brands by the American Brands Council. The brand has also been named the top hotel choice for entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur Magazine; the Best Budget Hotel Value in Entrepreneur Magazine's 12th Annual Business Travel Awards; the best low-priced hotel in Entrepreneur Magazine's 10th Annual Travel Awards and was voted Best Budget Hotel Chain by the 2004 Business Traveler Reader's Poll. The brand has also been recognized consistently by the American Marketing Association's EFFIE awards (1999-2004). In 2004, The 'Stay Smart' campaign received top honors with a Gold Effie Award win in the "Sustained Success" category, which recognizes products or services that have experienced ongoing success for a period of five years or more. Holiday Inn Express is the first hotel brand ever to be awarded an EFFIE in the category since its inception in 2002.
Holiday Inn Express hotels offer outstanding value and customer service in nearly 1,500 locations around the world. For more information about Holiday Inn Express or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.
Note to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 3,600 hotels and 539,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel IndigoTM, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards, with over 27 million members worldwide. In addition to this, InterContinental Hotels Group has a 47.5% interest in Britvic, one of the two leading manufacturers of soft drinks, by value and volume, in Great Britain.
InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ichotelsgroup.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com.
For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit our online Press Office at www.ihgplc.com/media.
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