HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES® SET TO OPEN IN SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI

SPRINGFIELD, MO - July 28, 2011 - New property in Springfield Missouri to feature new sign and brand standards as part of the worldwide brand relaunch.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms announces that a newly renovated 87-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Springfield Missouri opens September 9th, 2011. The Holiday Inn Express Medical District will be the area’s second Holiday Inn Express hotel.

The property will showcase the brand’s new sign, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program.  The Holiday Inn brand relaunch is the largest in the history of the hospitality industry, with more than 3,400 hotels around the world being updated - improving quality and driving consistency at Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels around the world. More than 2,600 hotels have been already been relaunched to date.

The relaunch focuses on the things research shows matter most to guests - a modern, contemporary hotel with efficient, friendly service and a great night's sleep. Relaunched hotels such as the Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Medical District feature:

· Upgraded and decluttered lobby areas

· A Holiday Inn Express signature scent and sound

· New exterior lighting and landscaping

· New signage with the redesigned logo

· All Holiday Inn employees also go through an extensive "Stay Real" training program to ensure guests receive the level of service they expect.

Guests at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Medical District will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a productive stay while traveling for business or leisure. The hotel’s newly enhanced complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar will feature a full range of breakfast items including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee.  The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products.  Guests will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

“Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travelers,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Delivery, the Americas, IHG. “With more than 2,000 properties worldwide and more than 600 properties in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in markets like Springfield, providing our guests with an enhanced stay experience at a great value.  We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family with the brand new sign and everything it represents.”

The newly renovated property offers a variety of amenities such as business center, fitness center, 24-hour front desk and an award winning desk.  This hotel has been the Number 1 rated Comfort Suites in the nation 37 of the last 38 months.  Standard Holiday Inn Express guest rooms feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast 100% Arabica coffee.  Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, free high-speed internet access and free local phone and toll free (U.S. and Canada only), phones with private voicemail and complimentary USA TODAY® newspapers.

 “More than $500,000 will be invested to convert this property from a Comfort Suites to a Holiday Inn Express & Suites and we are looking forward to the end result,” said Pam Long Prentice, general manager. “Holiday Inn Express is modern, fresh, clean and uncomplicated and a perfect fit for our South Springfield location.”

The property is just minutes from St. John’s and Cox Medical Centers, Bass Pro and Missouri State University.

Holiday Inn Express participates in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards.  The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has 52 million members.  Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,500 hotels worldwide.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Medical District is owned by JKD, Inc. and managed by Rolling Oaks Hospitality, Inc. under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 310 E Monastery Road in Springfield, Missouri; telephone: 417-887-8500; facsimile: 417-887-8510.

About Holiday Inn Express

Holiday Inn Express hotels are modern hotels 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 hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed internet access and free local phone calls (US and Canada only).  There are currently more than 2,000 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe.  For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.

Notes to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms.  IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, over 4,500 hotels and more than 650,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world.  The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 52 million members worldwide.

IHG has over 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 160,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England andWales.

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

 

 

1045 S. Farm Road 193         •         Springfield MO 65809         •         417-865-5447 Phone

© 2011 Rolling Oaks Group of Companies – All Rights Reserved