At its 2015 Americas Owners Conference in San Francisco, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) introduced new guest experience features for the Holiday Inn brand. Focused on the guestroom and the brand’s food and beverage offering, the design and service innovations were developed in collaboration with Holiday Inn hotel owners and frequent guests to meet the changing needs of modern leisure and business travelers.
Eric Lent, Vice President, Holiday Inn® Brand, Americas, IHG said, “In 1952, Kemmons Wilson had a vision for a hotel brand that would help everyday people experience the joy of travel. He did not believe that extraordinary journeys were reserved for only those with extraordinary means. We firmly believe that same thing today, but we do know the needs of travelers have evolved over the last 60 years, and the Holiday Inn brand is changing with them. Through these innovations, we are raising the expectations about what a great stay should be and designing for the future, to create memorable travel experiences for years to come.”
Designing for the future
Developed for new build and renovated hotels in the U.S. and Canada, the updated Holiday Inn design solution is called H4. The name represents Happiness, Hospitality, Home and Holiday Inn – four key elements imperative to developing a hotel experience that is distinctive and reflective of the Holiday Inn brand’s promise to “champion the joy of travel for everyone.” The new flexible approach allows guests to work or relax wherever and however they want and truly make the space their own. Unique in-room elements include:
- A design-infused approach that is both warm and inviting, with familiar, yet modern touches, created to feel more like a home than a hotel.
- A Welcome Nook serves as a drop zone for guests to hang their coat, drop their keys or bag and plug in their devices, much like they would an entryway or mud room in their own home.
- An entirely new room type: the King Bed with Comfort Hideaway features a trundle-type bed which doubles as a sofa during the day and can pull out into two twin beds at night. The room design is ideal for both business travelers, serving as a separate place to work or relax and unwind, and families with kids and teens, giving each member of the family a comfortable place to sleep and play.
- A new Moveable Desk and more than five dedicated points of power throughout the room were designed with today’s travelers in mind, giving them the ability to work and play anywhere in the room.
This next generation design will drive consistency and offer a contemporary design solution for new and existing Holiday Inn hotel owners. IHG has developed new tools and resources including a detailed design guide and optional turnkey procurement solution. The first hotels featuring the H4 design solution are expected to open during the first half of 2016.
Delivering Food and Beverage excellence
As part of a continued focus on driving food and beverage performance, the Holiday Inn brand introduced a flexible new F&B service platform, which is customizable based on hotel market and addresses every meal occasion. The new program was created to ensure Holiday Inn hotels deliver consistently great good, with great service, at a great value. The program simplifies restaurant and bar execution and management for operators, allowing them to focus on delivering great service and driving bottom line. The new service platform includes a world-class training program, a profitable menu of proven guest favorites, a robust set of merchandising and financial tools, and dedicated ongoing program support.
The new platform was piloted at more than 70 hotels over a six month period, testing the solution against the breakfast, dinner and bar offerings. The platform will roll-out to all Holiday Inn hotels in the U.S. and Canada during the first half of 2016.
