InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has won the contract to manage 11 UK hotels formerly operated under the Courtyard by Marriott brand. IHG will re-brand the properties as Holiday Inn hotels under a 20-year agreement with owners Kew Green Hotels (KGH).
KGH decided to re-brand the properties as it felt that the Holiday Inn identity was more appropriate for the full-service hotels, which offer key business amenities for corporate travellers. Locations included in the deal are: Leamington Spa, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Rotherham, Leeds, Lincoln, Ipswich, Reading and Slough-Windsor.
All are now in the midst of refurbishments, with upgrades to the conference and banqueting facilities and the installation of air-conditioning in all guestrooms within the next 18 months. Business travellers will also benefit from the addition of room service breakfast and time saving ”breakfast check out”.
”We are delighted to expand our relationship with IHG and to build on the three Express by Holiday Inns that we already operate,” said KGH managing director, Paul Johnson. ”The Holiday Inn brand is one of the best known brands in the UK and a perfect fit for these full service hotels.”
IHG CEO, Andrew Cosslett, added: ”It is testament to the strength of the Holiday Inn brand in the UK that KGH wanted to convert these hotels. It is excellent to see this brand grow and by opening 11 new Holiday Inns in one day the brand continues to go from strength to strength.”