IHG announces the opening of 11 new Holiday Inns under mass conversion agreement

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announced today the opening of 11 new Holiday Inn hotels in the UK as part of its mass conversion deal with Kew Green Hotels Ltd (KGH).

The 11 hotels, all owned by KGH and formerly operated under the Courtyard by Marriott brand, will now operate as Holiday Inn hotels under 20-year licence agreements with IHG.

In support of Holiday Inn’s sponsorship of the Vauxhall Racing (VXR) Team in the British Touring Car Championship, three Vauxhall Vectras in Holiday Inn racing livery will be driven by key management from both IHG and KGH and welcomed by the general managers of all 11 properties as they travel across the UK between May 1 and 4.

Starting at IHG’s corporate head office in Windsor, Berkshire, the convoy will make its way to Coventry and, over the course of the four-day tour, will take in Leamington Spa, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Rotherham, Leeds, Lincoln, Ipswich and Reading, finishing at the Holiday Inn Slough-Windsor on May 4 to a celebratory welcome by the general manager and key IHG representatives.

Various racing related activities will take place en route, with hotels marking their opening with a VXR racing simulator, Scalextric competitions, balloon races and even a hot air balloon on display to highlight the opening to the guests and local residents alike.

The decision to re-brand the 11 hotels was taken as KGH felt that the Holiday Inn brand was more appropriate for these full service hotels. All the hotels offer excellent accommodation, plus extensive conference and banqueting facilities, in city and business locations.

Refurbishments of the hotel’s facilities are underway, including the upgrading of banqueting suites and the addition of air-conditioning to all guest rooms within 18 months, as well as the introduction of room service breakfast and the time saving ‘breakfast check-out’.

Andrew Cosslett, Chief Executive of IHG, said: “It is testament to the strength of the Holiday Inn brand in the UK that KGH wanted to convert these hotels to Holiday Inns - the largest full service hotel brand in the UK. It is excellent to see this brand grow and by opening 11 new Holiday Inns in one day in the UK the brand continues to go from strength to strength. We welcome this opportunity to develop our relationship with KGH.”

Paul Johnson, Managing Director, comments;. “We are delighted to expand our relationship with IHG and to build on the three Express by Holiday Inns that we already operate. The Holiday Inn brand is one of the best known brands in the UK and a perfect fit for these full service hotels.”