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| IHG celebrated the opening of its 100th Holiday Inn Express hotel in Canada with a ribbon cutting. Joining Kristopher Wekarchuk, director of Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel operations, were Gaétan Laplante, construction foreman, Robert Robin, chairman of the board of Groupe Robin, Yves Lévesque, mayor of the City of Trois-Rivières, Nellie Robin, president of Groupe Robin, Stuart Laurie, director, franchise sale and development for IHG banner and Frédéric Bilodeau, general manager of Holiday Inn Express & Suites Trois-Rivières. |
TORONTO - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announces that it has crossed the milestone of 100 open Holiday Inn Express hotels in Canada, with the opening of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Trois-Rivieres in Quebec. Located at 2000 rue des Grands-Marches in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, the 111-room hotel is owned by Groupe Robin.
On the heels of this 100th hotel milestone are three additional openings for the brand in Canada: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Brantford, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kelowna - East, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Moncton. These openings further demonstrate the brand's rapid growth throughout IHG's 56-year history in Canada.
Compared to the industry average, the Holiday Inn Express brand has led the way in terms of its growth rate and footprint in Canada. With 103 open hotels and 24 additional hotels in the development pipeline, Holiday Inn Express properties account for more than 56 per cent of IHG's Canadian portfolio – which is more than double the number of open hotels than the next leading brand in the segment.
Jonathan Lund, Regional Vice President, Canada, IHG, said: "There is a market need for upper-midscale hotels. In 2017 alone, IHG Canada experienced unprecedented growth with 24 new hotels signings – the most we've seen in 10 years. I have no doubt that IHG will continue to extend its leadership position in the midscale segment, offering significant opportunities to Canadian owners."
Holiday Inn Express hotels cater to the rise in value-oriented travelers. In Canada, there are significantly more secondary and tertiary markets (i.e. with a population of less than 100K) than there are metropolitan markets (i.e. with a population of more than 100K+). With 75 per cent of Canada's hotels included in the economy, mid-market, upper-mid-market segments, this explains why hotels like Holiday Inn Express are so relevant and in demand.
Jennifer Gribble, Vice President, Global avid hotels, Mainstream Growth, said: "Reaching the milestone of 100 open Holiday Inn Express hotels is a tremendous achievement for IHG in Canada. Not only does it illustrate the appeal of this iconic brand to developers and domestic travelers alike, but it is a testament to the strength of our owner relationships and our well-established strategy to accelerate growth in the mainstream segment."
From a business perspective, the Holiday Inn Express brand appeals to developers and franchisees because of its smaller-than-average square footage requirement, strong return on investment, scalability, and flexible financing. For leisure and business travelers, the brand offers competitive rates, modern facilities, and dependable services – a hotel that will help them rest and go while staying productive.
IHG has 182 properties with more than 25,000 rooms in Canada, with 46 hotels and more than 5,000 rooms in the development pipeline. The Holiday Inn Express brand is part of IHG's diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries. The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands means that its hotels can meet guests' needs whatever the occasion – whether an overnight getaway, a business trip, a family celebration or a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
