IHG® Hotels & Resorts is making continued progress against its 2021 growth strategy for Holiday Inn Express® in Europe. The brand continues to grow at pace globally, including 277 Holiday Inn Express hotels operating in Europe and over 60 more to open their doors in the next 3-5 years. Despite the recent challenges the industry has faced, IHG Hotels & Resorts signed 11 new Holiday Inn Express properties across Europe in 2020, which complements its 17 European openings for the same period. Leisure signings and openings are a key focus for the brand in 2021, with Holiday Inn Express Ajaccio France and Holiday Inn Express – Brussels Grand Palace due to open later this summer.
This momentum underpins the trust and belief that owners and partners have in IHG Hotels & Resorts and the strength and standing of the Holiday Inn Express brand. In recent years, the Holiday Inn Express brand has rolled out its Next Generation guest room and public space design concepts across existing and new hotels, driving strong owner returns and guest satisfaction scores. The resilience of the Holiday Inn Express brand and operating model was further underlined through the Covid pandemic when – even at the height of government-mandated hotel closures across Europe – over 80% of the brand’s hotels were permitted to remain open for essential travel.
Willemijn Geels, Vice President, Development, Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts commented: “At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we take pride in the continued growth of our brands, and so I am delighted to see Holiday Inn Express entering new European leisure destinations which is a key focus for us this year. From airport and motorway locations to city centres, seaside locations and the opportunity to convert alongside new-build opportunities, the brand delivers a consistent and reliable guest offer that has been resilient throughout Covid-19. These signings and openings show the continued trust our owners and partners place in IHG and our brands. We’re truly excited to watch these properties come to life, and welcome more in the future.”
