140-room Holiday Inn Express Chennai Mahindra World City Opens in India
New Delhi, India - December 19, 2013 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced the opening of Holiday Inn Express Chennai Mahindra World City in the corporate hub of Mahindra World City near Chennai. The property was officially opened today by IHG's Pascal Gauvin, COO India, Middle East and Africa and Douglas Martell, Vice President Operations South West Asia alongside Saurabh Sonthalia, Country Head - Duet India Group, Naveen Jain, President, Duet India Hotels and Sangeeta Prasad, CEO - Integrated Cities & Industrial Clusters, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. This is the second hotel to open under a joint venture partnership formed between Duet India Hotels and IHG which will see a total of 19 hotels open under the brand.
The 140 room hotel offers comfort, convenience and a great location for business travellers visiting companies based within the city, which includes global software firms and automotive groups. Additionally, the hotel has easy access to key sightseeing attractions and shopping districts in Chennai, making it a smart proposition for the guests at the hotel.
As with all Holiday Inn Express hotels globally, guests at Holiday Inn Express Chennai Mahindra World City can expect a refreshing and hassle-free stay with:
• Free and fast Wi-Fi available in guest rooms and throughout the hotel to stay connected all day, every day
• Free Express Start™ Breakfast or a Grab & Go option for a smart start to the day
• A comfortable and restful sleep with high quality bedding and a choice of firm or soft pillows
• Refreshing power showers with a three-function massage showerhead and fluffy towels after a day exploring the city
• Self-service business centre and laundry room
The hotel has well-appointed rooms equipped with electronic safe, ergonomic desk chair and efficient working station, en-suite bathrooms, a 32-inch LED television with satellite channels, iPod docking station, tea / coffee maker and mini fridge. Other guest facilities include a fitness room and two functional and efficient meeting rooms. Five Spices is a multi-cuisine restaurant which will offer a choice of Asian and Continental cuisine to guests of the hotel.
At the launch of Holiday Inn Express Chennai Mahindra World City, Mr. Naveen Jain, President, Duet India Hotels said, "We are delighted to bring Holiday Inn Express to the city of Chennai, which can easily be described as the commercial hub of south India. Our entry into Chennai is testimony to the immense growth potential for this hotel segment in southern India. We expect the location of the hotel and its smart services will make it a popular choice amongst the business travellers to Chennai."
Mr. Douglas Martell, Vice President Operations, South West Asia, IHG commented, "Holiday Inn Express is our key growth driver in India and the brand accounts for over 85% of our growth in the country. We are very pleased to bring Holiday Inn Express, our fastest growing brand to Mahindra World City. I am confident that the hotel will appeal to the fuss-free and value-driven choices of today's 'smart' and 'savvy' travellers."
Ms. Sangeeta Prasad, CEO - Integrated Cities & Industrial Clusters, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. said, "We are delighted that Holiday Inn Express, one of the most well-known hospitality brands is opening its doors in Mahindra World City, Chennai today. This is a significant step in our endeavour of enhancing the social platform here as it will cater to both the corporates and the families who are part of this ecosystem. Moreover, it will also be the 1st international hospitality brand in the corridor on this side of the city. We wish the team every success in this new journey."
Holiday Inn Express is the smart choice for savvy business and leisure travellers, offering guests the reliability and quality of a global hotel brand. It is one of the world's fastest growing hotel brands currently with 2,235 hotels (210,793 rooms) worldwide since its launch in 1991.
IHG currently operates 18 hotels in India across four brands: InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. To explore Holiday Inn Express hotels and to make a booking, visit www.holidayinnexpress.com.
About Holiday Inn Express brand Hotels
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, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls (US and Canada only). There are currently more than 2,200 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe. For more information or to book a reservation, visit IHG.com/HolidayInnExpress. Find Holiday Inn Express hotels on Twitter https://twitter.com/HIExpress or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/holidayinnexpress.
About Duet India Hotels
Duet India Hotels is an owner and developer of internationally branded midscale and upper midscale business hotels in India. The company has raised significant equity capital for developing hotels in India. Duet India Hotels has a joint venture (76% DIH & 24% IHG) with InterContinental Hotels Group called Duet Smart Hotels India for developing Holiday Inn Express hotels. The first Holiday Inn Express was launched at Ahmedabad in November 2012 and one hotel in Chennai (OMR), one in Hyderabad and two hotels in Navi Mumbai are under development. Duet India Hotels has plans to develop over 4000 hotel rooms in India over the next 3-5 years. www.duetindiahotels.com; www.duetgroup.net.
About IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of nine hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts.
IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 76 million members worldwide. The programme was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet for Elites across all hotels, globally.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,600 hotels and 679,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate over the next few years.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc
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 
