InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the signing of three more Holiday Inn Express hotels in the UK: Holiday Inn Express London – Vauxhall Nine Elms, Holiday Inn Express Leigh – Sports Village and Holiday Inn Express Wigan in Greater Manchester.
Operating under a franchise agreement with first time IHG owner Heathdeal Ltd, the 132-room Holiday Inn Express London – Vauxhall Nine Elms will open later this year. The property will be rebranded from an existing hotel into a Holiday Inn Express.
Located very close to Vauxhall Cross and the Nine Elms Battersea area, this hotel will form part of one of London’s largest regeneration projects. The hotel will neighbour the new shops and offices being built as part of the redevelopment which is set to attract additional demand. The hotel has excellent public transport connections and is just a few minutes’ walk from Vauxhall Rail and Tube Station.
Meanwhile, the 135-room Holiday Inn Express Leigh – Sports Village will open this summer operating under a franchise agreement with KS Hotels Limited. The recently built property will feature six meeting rooms, a bar, lounge and dining area, as well as an on-site car park with 165 car park spaces.
Leigh Sports Village is home to Leigh Centurians Rugby League Football Club, and also hosts Blackburn Rovers and the Manchester United youth team. The well-connected multi-purpose venue accommodates concerts and boasts a conference venue with a 250 delegate capacity. The site is close to Manchester and Liverpool, as well as the towns of Warrington, Bolton and Wigan. Holiday Inn Express Leigh – Sports Village will be the only hotel in the Leigh Sports Village complex.
Opening in 2015 is the 87-room Holiday Inn Express Wigan, operating under a franchise agreement with Viking Bear Limited. Located nearby Wigan’s city centre and within close proximity to DW Stadium, the hotel is well placed to receive guests from the stadium’s busy conference centre, as well as sports fans and business travellers needing overnight accommodation.
Richard Arman, Director of Development, UK and Ireland, IHG said: “These three latest signings demonstrate that the Holiday Inn Express brand continues to be the smart choice for hotel owners and guests across the UK. The three properties are being developed in key locations and once open, will offer business and leisure guests a comfortable nights’ stay and friendly efficient service.”
Hanif Bhimji, Owner of Heathdeal Ltd and Holiday Inn Express London – Vauxhall Nine Elms said: “We’re delighted to be developing our first hotel with IHG. This Holiday Inn Express hotel will become a key landmark of Vauxhall Nine Elms after its regeneration , providing fantastic accommodation along London’s South Bank. ”
Kim Eivind Krohn, Owner of KS Hotels Limited and Holiday Inn Express Leigh – Sports Village said: “We’re very much looking forward to opening our first Holiday Inn Express, a well-established and extremely popular worldwide brand, following a full refurbishment of the existing Leigh Sports Village Hotel.”
Stephen McManamon, Owner of Viking Bear Limited and Holiday Inn Express Wigan said: “The hotel will give the town’s leisure and business facilities a boost, particularly for the stadium which hosts the super league rugby champions’ Wigan Warriors and 2013 FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic Football Club.”
Launched in 1991, the Holiday Inn Express brand opens hotels at a rate of two per week on average and is part of the Holiday Inn portfolio of brands, which is the largest global hotel brand, with the largest global pipeline. There are currently 219 Holiday Inn Express hotels open in Europe and 38 in the development pipeline*.
