Holiday Inn Express

ATLANTA – IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms announced today that a new 70-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Jacksonville, Florida is expected to open May 29, 2009. The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlantic Beach East will be area’s first Holiday Inn Express hotel.

Guests at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlantic Beach East will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a productive stay while traveling for business or leisure. The hotel’s newly enhanced complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar will feature a full selection of breakfast items including cheddar cheese omelets, bacon, biscuits, yogurt, fruit and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee. The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a new line of cinnamon-scented bath products. And, guests will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative top sheet, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

“Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travelers,” said John Merkin, senior vice president, Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands, The Americas. “With more than 1,800 properties worldwide and more than 700 properties in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in markets like Jacksonville providing our guests with a enhanced stay experience at a great value.”

The new 70-room property offers a variety of amenities such as spacious suites, Jacuzzi rooms, 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour front desk, outdoor pool, wireless internet and a business center. Standard Holiday Inn Express guest rooms feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, in room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast 100% Arabica coffee. Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, free high-speed internet access and free local phone and toll free (U.S. and Canada only), two phones with private voicemail and complimentary USA Today newspapers.

“More than $7.5 million will be invested to build this property and we are looking forward to the end result,” said Neil Patel, general manager. “Holiday Inn Express & Suites is modern, fresh, clean and uncomplicated and a perfect fit for Atlantic Beach.”

The property is within walking distance to Hanna Park and just minutes from Naval Station Mayport. Jacksonville’s finest beaches are also a short drive from the hotel.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites participates in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has over 37 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s almost 4,000 hotels worldwide.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites- Atlantic Beach East location is owned and managed by Baymeadows Lodging, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 8520 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256. Telephone: 904-562-4920; Facsimile: 904-562-4921.

About Holiday Inn Express

Holiday Inn Express is the modern hotel for value-oriented travelers. Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers. Guests Stay Smart® at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed internet access and free local phone calls (US only). There are currently more than 1,800 Holiday Inn Express locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit .

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 4,000 hotels and more than 585,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. IHG owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.

The company pioneered the travel industry’s first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The IHEI formed the foundations of the Tourism Partnership launched by the International Business Leaders Forum in 2004, of which IHG is still a member today. The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG’s global corporate responsibility focus.

With more than 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG will be recruiting around 130,000 people over the next few years to meet its global expansion plans.

Jennifer Belisario
904-435-0700
IHG

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