InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Announces Worldwide Brand Relaunch of Holiday Inn(R)

    ATLANTA, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- From its annual Americas
 Investors and Leadership Conference in Dallas, InterContinental Hotels
 Group (IHG) today announces a worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn(R)
 brand family, comprised of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express(R).
     All Holiday Inn hotels will be required to implement the relaunch
 program to create a more contemporary brand image, increase quality and
 drive consistency. The program includes a new service promise, a redesigned
 welcome experience, a refreshed guest room and redesigned brand signage
 that will be installed at hotels once all criteria have been met. Holiday
 Inn hotels currently open or under development are expected to have
 implemented the relaunch program by the end of 2010, with the first due to
 open in spring 2008 in the United States.
     "The Holiday Inn brand family comprises nearly a quarter of the
 industry's midscale lodging segment in the United States and is the most
 'stayed-in' hotel brand in the world with roughly 100 million room nights a
 year, so ensuring the continued strength and power of this global icon is a
 top priority for IHG," said Andy Cosslett, Chief Executive Officer for IHG.
 "This relaunch will ensure the brand moves into the future with a strong
 and confident new image so our guests get as much enjoyment from Holiday
 Inn hotels over the next 50 years as they have over the last 50."
     Established in 1952, Holiday Inn is one of the world's most recognized
 hotel brands with more than 400,000 rooms (3,125 hotels) open and a
 development pipeline of more than 110,000 rooms (942 hotels). This
 development pipeline continues to grow rapidly, with more than 16,000 rooms
 signed in the third quarter of 2007, a 6% increase on Q3 2006.
     By better delivering on guest needs and expectations, IHG expects the
 relaunch program to allow Holiday Inn hotels to generate significantly
 higher revenue per available room (RevPAR), and generate an enhanced return
 on investment for their owners. Owners and franchisees will invest up to $1
 billion over a three year period in total to carry out the brand relaunch
 to meet the required service and quality levels.
     "As always, we have worked in close collaboration with our owners
 around the world on these efforts to ensure we have their buy-in every step
 of the way," said Mark Snyder, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Brand
 Management for Holiday Inn. "Our franchisees are proud of their affiliation
 with the Holiday Inn brand and believe in its strength, and our record
 development pipeline is proof. They agree this is the right thing to do to
 make this great brand fit for future generations."
     The brand relaunch program includes:
     Redesigned Brand Signage
     Holiday Inn is making dramatic changes to its signage -- evolving the
 iconic script logo, energizing the signature color green and eliminating
 the current shield shape. The brand will replace more than 11,000 signs
 around the world to reflect this refreshed and contemporary look. The
 redesigned brand signage also will be incorporated into design elements in
 each of the more than 3,100 hotel lobbies and more than 400,000 guest
 rooms.
     Refreshed Guest Room
     New bedding will redefine the look and feel of each guest room with
 fresh, white triple-sheeting and pillows that come in two comfort levels:
 "soft" and "firm." An enhanced bathroom will feature an improved showerhead
 that offers superior pressure, as well as a signature shower curtain with
 curved rod and new amenities to deliver a consistent bath experience that
 feels fresh and contemporary.
     Warm Welcome
     A new signature arrival -- including new lighting, landscaping and
 design features -- will create an energized and branded sense of welcome
 that is universally recognizable. Customized music and scent selections
 also will engage guests in a complete sensory experience, and a decluttered
 front desk will promote a more efficient and interactive check-in process.
     New Service Promise
     Since a differentiated lodging experience cannot be delivered through
 imagery and product alone, Holiday Inn is committed to providing
 best-in-class service. As part of the relaunch, the brand will initiate a
 new service culture -- "Stay Real" -- to further ensure staff develops the
 behaviors and skills to best serve guests by treating them as real people
 and consistently delivering the real, genuine service for which Holiday Inn
 is known.
     About Holiday Inn
     Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts is part of the InterContinental Hotels
 Group family of brands with global headquarters in the U.K. and Americas
 headquarters in Atlanta. With more than 1,400 properties worldwide and
 nearly 1,000 in the U.S., Holiday Inn is the most recognized lodging brand
 in the world and certainly the most iconic. Since 1952 full-service Holiday
 Inn hotels have provided the services that business travelers need, while
 also offering a comfortable, casual atmosphere where vacationing guests can
 relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming
 pools, fitness centers, and comfortable lounges. Additional features such
 as meeting space and onsite business centers, KidSuites(R) rooms,
 Holidome(R) indoor recreation centers, the Kids Eat Free and Kids Stay Free
 programs and Priority Club Rewards memberships have helped to establish the
 Holiday Inn brand as "America's Hotel." Call 1-800-HOLIDAY or log onto
 www.holidayinn.com for more information or to book a reservation.
     About Holiday Inn Express
     Holiday Inn Express is the modern hotel 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 Express
 Start(TM) breakfast bar, free high-speed internet access, free local phone
 calls (US only) and the ability to earn Priority Club Rewards points that
 can be redeemed for great merchandise, airline miles or free stays in more
 than 3,800 hotels. There are currently nearly 1,700 Holiday Inn Express
 locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express
 or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.
     About Priority Club Rewards
     With more than 33 million members, IHG's Priority Club Rewards is the
 first, largest and fastest-growing guest loyalty program in the hotel
 industry. Winner of the 19th Annual Freddie Awards hotel loyalty Program of
 the Year for the second consecutive year and named Best Hotel Rewards
 Program in the World two years running by Global Traveler magazine,
 Priority Club Rewards offers more sought-after benefits and the greatest
 ease of use of any hotel loyalty program. Enrollment in Priority Club
 Rewards is free. Guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by
 calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG's
 more than 3,800 hotels worldwide.
     Notes to Editors:
     InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom [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 3,800 hotels and more than 563,000 guest rooms in nearly
 100 countries and territories around the world. IHG 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 Indigo(R), and also manages the world's largest hotel
 loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards with over 33 million members
 worldwide.
     The company pioneered the travel industry's first collaborative
 response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and
 Environment Initiative (IHEI). The IHEI formed the foundations of the
 Tourism Partnership launched by the International Business Leaders Forum in
 2004, of which IHG is still a member today. The environment and local
 communities remain at the heart of IHG's global corporate responsibility
 focus.
     IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands
 at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at
 www.priorityclub.com.
     For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at
 www.ihg.com/media.
 
 

SOURCE InterContinental Hotels Group