Hotel & Motel Management - November 19, 2007 - (Page 29)

www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition HotelMotel.com | H&MM November 19, 2007 News 29 Relaunch Continued from page 1 “This will be the single biggest piece of brand activity this industry has ever seen,” IHG c.e.o. Andrew Cosslett said. “Three thousand hotels—there’s no brand even close in terms of size It’s a signiﬁcant event.” IHG will invest $60 million into the relaunch. The ﬁrst Holiday Inn with a new look will hit the market in April 2008, company executives said. The relaunch will involve three phases, with IHG asking Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express owners to ﬁrst maintain quality standards, retrain employees to improve service quality and, ﬁnally, purchase new signage and hallmarks. All property owners will be expected to meet the quality standards before they receive the new signage. Cost for an owner is estimated at $50,000 to $150,000 for the sign exchange and hallmarks, and service-training programs will require additional costs. “Big brands do big things and we have to do this in a really big way,” said Mark Snyder, senior v.p. of worldwide brand management. New signs, as well as redesigned front-desk areas, new bedding and new amenities, were introduced to owners during a walk-through tour in Dallas. The company also unveiled new scents and sounds that will welcome guests. “The new signage will communicate ‘modern’ without losing the comfortable feel of the brand,” said Mark Wells, senior v.p., brand performance, the Americas. As far as the Holiday Inn logo, brand marketers decided to stick with Holiday Inn’s traditional green background, but they tweaked the shade of green. The iconic “Holiday Inn” script was cut to a monogrammed “H.” Stevan Porter, IHG president, the Americas, said he heard positive feedback from owners. “Some say, ‘It’s about time.’ Others say, ‘Hey, I just got here— I was happy when I started, now I’m thrilled,’” Porter said. Danny Gaekwad, owner of a Holiday Inn in Ocala, Fla., said the changes are overdue. “I wish they would’ve done this three years back. The Holiday Inn name is a very recognizable name, but everything needs a revamping, just like anything else.” Gaekwad said securing the ﬁnances to install the necessary changes might be difﬁcult for struggling property owners. ONLINE EXTRA! Blood Diamond on HBO Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Beneﬁt Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan on HBO For reaction from owners on the future of the brand and whether funding for property makeovers will be difﬁcult to obtain, visit www.hotelmotel.com/holidayinn. Cosslett said IHG predicts the brand changes will bring a 3-percent increase in revenue per available room. There are nearly 1,000 Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express properties (110,000 rooms) in the pipeline. Other IHG changes IHG announced changes to other brands under its ownership: Staybridge Suites, IHG’s upscale extended-stay brand, launched a new “outdoor living concept” and new herbal bath amenities. The outdoor living room, consisting of stone ﬁreplaces, high-deﬁnition televisions, outdoor furniture and gazebos with ceiling fans, will be available to new and existing hotels. A new prototype for Candlewood Suites, IHG’s midscale extended-stay brand, will boast an expansive lobby and a new exterior paint scheme. Khaki, olive green, tan and dark blue will evoke a more residential feel. IHG reported an overall growth in RevPAR across all brands of 5.4 percent for the nine-month period of 2007 ending Sept. 30. Hotel Indigo, IHG’s boutique brand, reported the highest increase in RevPAR, at 18.8 percent for the ﬁrst nine months of 2007. jfreed@questex.com SM www.homeboxofﬁce.com/lodging CIRCLE NO. 111 Now Available in HD ©2007 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and Your Guests Expect It.SM are service marks of Home Box Office, Inc. http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.hotelmotel.com/holidayinn http://www.homeboxoffice.com/lodging http://www.homeboxoffice.com/lodging

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Hotel & Motel Management - November 19, 2007 Contents Torrid Hotel Sales Pace Persists Boykin Takes Steps to Regain Foothold Best Western Sets 10-year Plan Perspective At Your Risk HotelWorld Update Sales Clinic Events Trends & Stats Charting H&MM's Top Lodging Design Firms Fitness Equipment Supplier News PMS Software Provides One-Click Solutions High-Quality Linens Require Higher-Quality Cleaning Despite Slow Market, Condo Hotels Thrive Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - November 19, 2007

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