September 4, 2018 TnH Global 1

IHG opens Holiday Inn Express in Gurgaon Sector 50

InterContinental Hotels Group expanded its Indian portfolio of Holiday Inn Express by opening Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon in Sector 50.

IHG will open 13 more Holiday Inn Express hotels in India by 2019.
All 14 Holiday Inn Express hotels are coming in partnership with SAMHI.
The new launch also marked the unveiling of a new Holiday Inn Express brand campaign in India, centered around ‘More Than Ready’.

InterContinental Hotels Group inaugurated the Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50, the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Gurugram. As a part of IHG’s partnership with SAMHI for a portfolio of 14 Holiday Inn Express hotels, this property will be the first to open its doors to guests on September 15^th. Marking this celebration, IHG’s regional leadership team including CEO EMEAA, Kenneth Macpherson and MD, IMEA Pascal Gauvin were present at the ceremony.

Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50 offers 205 intelligent, design-led, contemporary rooms, providing an inviting and efficient environment to the guests. For seamless connectivity, the hotel offers free high-speed Internet in all rooms. Guests staying at Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50 can enjoy breakfast (included in the rate) with offering quality, to kick-start their day. Featuring an enhanced ‘Great Room’, the hotel offers a dynamic space to socialize and entertain. Additionally, the hotel features a gymnasium and a laundry room for added convenience of the guests. Boasting of an excellent location, Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50 is strategically situated in a mixed-use complex populated with a shopping mall, restaurants, entertainment, and wellness facilities, making it a perfect destination for business travelers as well as leisure seekers. The hotel is 30 minutes from Indira Gandhi International Airport and the railway station and in close proximity to the Metro station, providing great accessibility and connectivity to the guests.

The launch also marked the unveiling of a new Holiday Inn Express brand campaign in India, centered around ‘More Than Ready’, a platform which aims to empower 25-35 years’ travelers, who as road warriors look for added advantages to accomplish their travel goals. The brand campaign was kicked-off by a performance by Kanan Gill, India’s well known stand-up comedy artist.

Commenting on the announcement, Vivek Bhalla, Regional Vice President, SWA, IHG said, “We are delighted to launch the first Holiday Inn Express hotel as a part of our partnership with SAMHI, an eminent player in the hospitality industry in India. Our growth in India is fueled by the Holiday Inn brand family, and this partnership underscores our commitment to grow our midscale offering in the country. Holiday Inn Express is our fastest growing brand globally, and we see further opportunity in the South West Asia market to expand our footprint.

He added: Gurugram is one of the fastest growing business hubs in India, and with excellent location, intelligent design, and a great service culture, we are confident that Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50 will see great success and offer an uncompromising and modern guest experience to travellers visiting the city.”

Ashish Jakhanwala, MD & CEO, SAMHI added, “We are very excited to inaugurate Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50, the first of the 14 hotels Holiday Inn Express portfolio, under the SAMHI & IHG partnership. The conversion and the rebranding exercise of our existing portfolio to the Holiday Inn Express brand is one of the largest in the hospitality industry. We strongly believe that a combination of strong locations, a vibrant product and the power of the brand Holiday Inn Express, will lead the way for the midscale hotel space in India.”

IHG and SAMHI entered a partnership in 2017 to rebrand 14 hotels (approximately 2000 rooms, operating and under construction) to Holiday Inn Express hotels. Creating a pan India presence, the hotels will be located across key cities in India such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata. The hotels under the portfolio are being renovated and upgraded with the latest design directives, to ensure the portfolio is fully representative of the Holiday Inn Express brand globally.