InterContinental Hotels Group today revealed avid hotels as the name of its new high-quality mid-scale brand.
The first property is expected to open in 2019 with room rates expected to undercut IHG’s Holiday Inn Express brand by as much as $15.
Hotels will be equipped with IHG Connect fast Wi-Fi and the ability for loyalty members to be automatically connected for all future visits.
Avid properties will have up to 100 rooms and be part of IHG’s planned cloud-based next generation reservation system.
Entertainment options will allow guests to stream content from their smart devices to in-room televisions.
IHG chief executive Keith Barr said: “We built our Holiday Inn Express brand into a hugely successful, leading midscale brand.
“Now, with the introduction of avid hotels, we’re set to add another one and extend IHG’s leadership position in this segment.
“With 14 million potential customers looking for the type of hospitality avid hotels will offer, this new hotel brand represents a significant growth opportunity for IHG and our family of owners.”
IHG Americas chief executive, Elie Maalouf, added: “Our extensive consumer research and conversations with owners identified a clear opportunity to reach an important set of business and leisure travellers in a vastly underserved $20 billion segment of the US mid-scale market.
“We applied our insights, expertise and scale to deliver an experience that features modern and stylish designs, superior guest rooms and public spaces and great service – all at an excellent value.
“I have no doubt avid hotels will continue IHG’s success in delivering what our guests want, while driving superior returns for our owners.”