BASS Hotels and Resorts has tied up a multiple franchise agreement with hotel owner and operator Westmont Hospitality that will see 19 Italian hotels branded as Holiday Inns.
The move is part of the hotel giant’s strategy to build its presence in Italy after it identified the country as a key target market along with the UK, Germany, France and Spain.
There are already 11 Holiday Inns in Italy and Bass said the deal will make the chain the second most dominant international mid-market brand in Italy. The first is Jolly Hotels.
Bass chairman and chief executive officer Tom Oliver said: “The Italian market is one of the eight leading markets in the world in terms of people travelling to and from there and we have created a strategy of focusing on it. The deal will create a density of the brand and will allow more advertising and promotional money to be spent there. More rooms will mean more experience of the brand for people which will help our portfolio elsewhere too.”
Bass already operates a franchise agreement with Westmont for 35 hotels in France, Belgium and the UK but the largest chunk of its 1,500 Holiday Inn portfolio is represented by the US which has 1,200 properties.
“Westmont are the epitome of an excellent franchisee in our eyes because they are prepared to invest heavily in properties so that they match the expectations people have of a particular brand,” Oliver said.
Westmont and investment partners have spent £11.25m on refurbishing hotels due for rebranding. Bass also plans to develop its budget Express by Holiday Inn brand in Italy.