10/08/2018 | 04:53 PM

Canada tops 100 Holiday Inn Express hotels

TORONTO – IHG now has more than 100 Holiday Inn Express hotels in Canada — 103 to be exact — and Jonathan Lund, regional vice-president, is excited.  “Not only is it the largest IHG brand in Canada, but we now offer choices for guests coast to coast, from St. John’s, N.L. to Victoria, B.C.”

The 100^th hotel is the in Quebec.  Located at 2000 rue des Grands-Marchés in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the 111-room hotel is owned by Groupe Robin.

“The Trois-Rivières property is LEED certified, as Groupe Robin are very keen on environmental measures,” said Lund.

On the heels of this 100^th hotel milestone are three additional openings for the brand in Canada: , and . These openings further demonstrate the brand’s rapid growth throughout IHG’s 56-year history in Canada.

“Holiday Inn Express meets the needs of a growing market of upper midscale hotel travellers,” said Lund. “The advantage for developers is that there are strong returns, and the footprint is smaller than the full footprint of a full-service hotel.  It’s a smaller build that is performing very well in the marketplace.

“Guests love these hotels as they are competitively priced, functional and new, especially with the Formula Blue design. The free Express Start breakfast is consistently good.”

Compared to the industry average, the Holiday Inn Express brand has led the way in terms of its growth rate and footprint in Canada. With 103 open hotels and 24 additional hotels in the development pipeline, Holiday Inn Express properties account for more than 56 per cent of IHG’s Canadian portfolio – which is more than double the number of open hotels than the next leading brand in the segment.

“This last year we have seen a lot more dual-branded hotels, combining Holiday Inn Express with Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites,” said Lund. “They’re very popular with owners because there are two brands in one location.” A dual branded property, consisting of a Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites, opened recently in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

“There is a market need for upper-midscale hotels. In 2017 alone, IHG Canada experienced unprecedented growth with 24 new hotel signings – the most we’ve seen in 10 years. I have no doubt that IHG will continue to extend its leadership position in the midscale segment, offering significant opportunities to Canadian owners.”

Holiday Inn Express hotels cater to the rise in value-oriented travellers. In Canada, there are significantly more secondary and tertiary markets (i.e. with a population of less than 100K) than there are metropolitan markets (i.e. with a population of more than 100K+). With 75 per cent of Canada’s hotels included in the economy, mid-market, upper-mid-market segments, this explains why hotels like Holiday Inn Express are so relevant and in demand.

Jennifer Gribble, vice president, Global, avid hotels, Mainstream Growth, said: “Reaching the milestone of 100 open Holiday Inn Express hotels is a tremendous achievement for IHG in Canada. Not only does it illustrate the appeal of this iconic brand to developers and domestic travellers alike, but it is a testament to the strength of our owner relationships and our well-established strategy to accelerate growth in the mainstream segment.”

IHG has 184 properties with more than 25,000 rooms in Canada, with 43 hotels and more than 4,400 rooms in the development pipeline. The Holiday Inn Express brand is part of IHG’s diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries.

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