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Holiday Inn Jettisons Dated Properties In Revival Bid

London-based InterContinental Hotels Group hopes to revive the image of the Holiday Inn chain, which has suffered as newer competitors have cashed in on its traditional strength: consistent quality at an affordable price. It is shedding roughly half the nearly 1,100 properties that it had in 2004, mainly by ending franchise agreements with operators of substandard properties.

The multiyear campaign to remove the brand from outdated hotels--the largest cutback of its kind ever undertaken by a single chain--is expected to be complete in 2009. By the time the campaign ends, Holiday Inn will have removed about 100,000 rooms and opened about 35,000 new ones in multistory, contemporary-style hotels.

One reason the Holiday Inn brand holds such potential is that millions of baby boomers still have a deep fascination with the hotel chain, says Andrew Wood, a San Jose State University associate professor.

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