XX (insert month) 2009 - Holiday Inn Express Hotels

XX (insert month) 2009 - Holiday Inn Express Hotels

7 May 2010
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS DURBAN-UMHLANGA OPENS IN
SOUTH AFRICA AS PART OF $1 BILLION GLOBAL RELAUNCH
Holiday Inn Express Durban-Umhlanga will open at the end of May 2010, unveiling a
new look and feel along with a welcoming guest experience.
The new hotel is part of the $1-billion global relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand family,
announced in October 2007, to create a more contemporary brand image, increase
quality and drive consistency across over 3,300 hotels around the world.
Operated and managed by ISO Leisure Hotels, the new hotel will offer 235 rooms, all of
which are equipped with individually controlled air-conditioning, high-speed Wi-Fi access
and satellite TV.
Holiday Inn is maintaining its heritage of providing a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere by
focusing on the elements that matter most to guests, including a relaxed service culture
and improved bedding to help guests get a great night’s sleep.
The contemporary feel continues inside where Holiday Inn Express guests will be
welcomed by a scent unique to Holiday Inn Express properties, as well as a signature
music programme which changes from an upbeat to a relaxing tempo at different times
of the day.
Speaking of the hotel’s opening, Gavin Watson, chief executive of ISO Leisure,
commented: “The contemporary look of our new hotel focuses on the things that matter
most to our guests when they think about quality – great beds, great showers and
fantastic service and a more up-to-date look.
“As one of the largest and most successful hotel brands, extensive research undertaken
revealed that guests demand consistent quality and contemporary design. Holiday Inn
Express Durban-Umhlanga’s opening is part of a worldwide initiative to ensure the
Holiday Inn brand moves forward with a strong and confident new image.”
The hotel will offer 140 spacious and modern double-bedded rooms and 95 twin-bedded
rooms, while three specially equipped rooms ensure the hotel is accessible for all
guests, offering all the amenities expected from Holiday Inn Express.
Guests will also benefit from meeting room facilities for up to 50 delegates, as well as a
satellite business centre. A complimentary continental breakfast buffet will also be on
offer.
Ideally situated within walking distance of the upmarket Gateway Shopping and
Entertainment Centre, and within short driving distance to Durban International
Convention Centre, the property is expected to appeal to both leisure and business
travellers. The hotel is only 10km from the newly opened King Shaka International
Airport, with easy access to the freeway and the new Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The global relaunch was announced in October 2007 and is on track to be completed by
the end of 2010. As part of this process, all Express by Holiday Inn hotels will
become Holiday Inn Express hotels to create global consistency. In the interim, as the
hotels implement the relaunch, both the existing and new Holiday Inn brand family
identities will be used. For more information regarding the relaunch, click here or visit
the site at www.ihg.com/corporate.
For more information or to make a reservation visit www.IGH.COM
Media enquiries:
Dani Isaacs on +27 21 465 1345 or +27 83 308 6260 or email:
[email protected]
About the Holiday Inn Relaunch:
The Holiday Inn relaunch focuses on the things that matter most to guests – a
contemporary hotel with efficient, friendly service offering a great night’s sleep.
Relaunched hotels feature:
 Upgraded and de-cluttered lobby areas
 A Holiday Inn scent and sound
 New bedding
 Upgraded showers and bathroom amenities
 New exterior lighting and landscaping
 New signage with the redesigned logo
 All Holiday Inn employees undergo an extensive “Stay Real” training programme to
ensure guests receive the level of service they expect
The Holiday Inn brand was founded by Kemmons Wilson in 1952 with the first hotel
opening in Memphis, Tennessee. Fifty eight years on, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn
Express exist in 100 countries worldwide and welcome over 100-million people every
year. To showcase its hospitality and expertise worldwide, Holiday Inn has been named
as the official hotel services provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics
Games. As a sponsor, Holiday Inn will be providing expertise in accommodation and
services before and during the Games.
About InterContinental Hotels Group:
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest
hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through
various subsidiaries, over 4,400 hotels and more than 645,000 guest rooms in 100
countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of wellrecognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts,
Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday
Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites and also manages the world's
largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club Rewards, with 48-million members
worldwide.
IHG has 1,400 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 140,000 jobs
worldwide 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.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com
and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For
the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media
About ISO Leisure Holdings (Pty)
ISO Leisure Holdings (Pty) Ltd is a leading leisure industry developer and operator
established in 2007. Its principal shareholders include Amabubesi Investments (Pty) Ltd
and a consortium of South African investors. Gavin Watson is Chief Executive and Gary
Foster the Group Operations Director.
ISO Leisure Holdings (Pty) Ltd has signed an exclusive franchise agreement with
InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), the biggest hotel group in the world, for the Holiday
Inn Express brand in South Africa. It also has development rights to both the Crowne
Plaza and Holiday Inn brands for Sub-Saharan Africa. ISO Leisure has committed to 25
new Holiday Inn Express hotels within the next 10 years. To date ISO Leisure’s
developments include Holiday Inn Express Cape Town City Centre (175 bedrooms),
Holiday Inn Express Sandton-Woodmead (155 bedrooms), Holiday Inn Express
Pretoria-Sunnypark (303 bedrooms) and Holiday Inn Johannesburg-Rosebank (158
bedrooms). The Group will open Holiday Inn Express Durban-Umhlanga and Holiday Inn
Express Johannesburg-Roodepoort within the next few weeks, in time for the 2010 Fifa
World Cup.
The newly renovated Bongani Mountain Lodge, the first game lodge within the ISO
Leisure portfolio, is situated only 34kms outside Nelspruit, Mpumalanga and borders on
the world-renowned Kruger National Park. Guests can experience the Big Five,
including lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo, and walk ancient paths once used by
the San (Bushman) people with over 250 San rock art sites, estimated to be 1 500 years
old - the greatest concentration of rock art per square metre on earth. ISO Leisure
Holdings (Pty) Ltd is in the process of signing new hotels in Gauteng, Limpopo,
Mpumalanga and the Eastern Province.
For further information on Holiday Inn Express Durban-Umhlanga please contact:
Sandra Boome, National Marketing Manager ISO Leisure Hotels
[email protected]
Tel: +27 (0)21 418 2156 Fax: +27 (0) 21 418 0590 Mobile: 082 909 8032