InterContinental Hotels Group has announced a $1 billion re-launch of its biggest brand, Holiday Inn.
The new logo for Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express was unveiled to owners and operators at this year’s Intercontinental Hotels Group Americas Investors and Leaderships conference in Dallas, Texas.
The new signage will be rolled out globally by the end of 2010, with the first of the 225 UK hotels using the branding from spring next year.
It is likely that the Holiday Inn London Heathrow will be the first to be transformed in the UK.
In total, 25 of the 3,000 hotels in key locations will begin piloting the new look for a 90 day period.
IHG also announced it would be investing around $60 million to help kick-start the new brand roll out.
The company’s chief executive Andy Cosslett said: “This brand is going to become a lot bigger in years to come.
“This is the single biggest piece of brand activity this industry has ever seen.”
The new brand is the result of two years of research, involving 18,000 consumers and costing $20 million.
It is the first time in 25 years that Holiday Inn has changed the shape of its signage, and the first time since the company’s launch in 1952 that the logo has been totally re-designed. Holiday Inn’s ‘dated’ dark green colour will also be switched for a lighter shade of green.
Throughout the next three years there will be service level agreements put in place covering the look of the exterior and interior of properties.
All owners will have to reach satisfaction levels in 2010 to remain part of the Holiday Inn franchise. Holiday Inn hotels will have to see 80% of customers satisfied or very satisfied and Holiday Inn Express will have to reach 84% to remain in the group.
Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express currently has around 1000 hotels in the pipeline globally and by 2010 there will be more than 4000 hotels in the chain.
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