InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) in partnership with investment group, Pro-invest has celebrated the opening of Australia’s first Holiday Inn Express hotel, Holiday Inn Express Sydney Macquarie Park, scheduled to welcome its first guests on 11 April 2016.
A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the occasion, attended by IHG Chief Executive Officer, Richard Solomons, Pro-invest Chief Executive Officer, Ronald Barrott, and New South Wales Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Stuart Ayres.
Holiday Inn Express Sydney Macquarie Park is the first of 15 Holiday Inn Express hotels to be developed in partnership with international investment group, Pro-invest under a multiple franchise agreement. Additional key locations for properties in the portfolio have been secured in Spring Hill, Brisbane, Hindley Street, Adelaide and Southbank, Melbourne.
“This is an important milestone for the Holiday Inn Express brand globally, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. I’m delighted to be here for the occasion, and to celebrate with our partners from Pro-invest,” said IHG Chief Executive, Richard Solomons.
“IHG’s global strategy is to align the right market with the right brand at the right time – and with the right partner. With a strong tourism economy in place, coupled with a receptiveness to a select service accommodation brand in this market and a dynamic partner in Pro-invest, Australia presented as an ideal opportunity to continue the growth of Holiday Inn Express.
“A brand synonymous with offering guests a great experience and ‘everything they need but nothing they don’t’, coupled with friendly service, Holiday Inn Express will no-doubt prove popular among smart, discerning Australian travellers,” he said.
Ronald Barrott, Chief Executive Officer at Pro-invest Group said: “Since announcing our partnership with IHG and this portfolio of Holiday Inn Express hotels to open in Australia, our team has scoured the country for prime positions for our hotels. Macquarie Park is one of Sydney’s leading business precincts for this, our first Holiday Inn Express hotel, perfectly-suited to cater for corporate travellers.
“In just a few days’ time we will open our doors to guests, and it won’t be too long before we do the same at Holiday Inn Express Brisbane Spring Hill. It’s an exciting time, and we could not have wished for better partners than IHG with whom to undertake this exciting project.”
One of the world’s fastest growing hotel brands, Holiday Inn Express encourages guests to ‘Stay Smart’, offering ‘everything you need but nothing you don’t’ in one inclusive rate that delivers:
-Free and fast Wi-Fi available in guest rooms and throughout the hotel so they stay connected all day, every day;
-Free Express Start Breakfast or a Grab & Go option for a smart start to the day;
-A comfortable and restful sleep with high quality bedding and choice of firm or soft pillows;
-Self-service business centre and laundry room for their everyday needs; and
-Great Room, a public space for guests to enjoy their breakfast meet, work or relax
In addition to the opening of the 192-room hotel in Macquarie Park, Sydney, a 226-room Holiday Inn Express will open in Spring Hill Brisbane later this year, followed by Adelaide with a further 245-room Holiday Inn Express in the centre of the city opening 2017 and 345 rooms in Southbank, central Melbourne opening in 2018, totalling 1,008 rooms in all.
IHG currently has 25 hotels operating under three brands in Australia: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, with Holiday Inn Express Sydney Macquarie Park marking the launch of the fourth brand in the country and the 26th hotel in Australia.
There are currently over 2,400 Holiday Inn Express hotels (more than 234,000 rooms) open across the globe. There are 26 Holiday Inn Express hotels in the Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region, growing to 68 hotels in the next three to five years.
