A Brief History

Holiday Inn was founded in 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee by a businessman named Kemmons Wilson. While travelling to Washington DC with his family, he was frustrated by the lack of affordable, family friendly options available to him.

He realised this was a gap in the market and decided to fill it, opening a 120 bedroom motel which had all the amenities to make life easier for not only his regular business travellers, but those, like himself, who wished to bring their families with them. It had a swimming pool, restaurant and free ice, which was revolutionary at the time! The Holiday Inn chain was later the first to put televisions in every room as standard!

He had succeeded in his mission to create a hotel that put families at the heart. Then he did something even more revolutionary… he standardised the style of his motel and franchised it to other business owners! And so the branded hotel chain was born.

In the 1990’s, Holiday Inn Express launched globally, starting with the Holiday Inn Express Strathclyde, just off the M74 motorway in Scotland. With the strength of the Holiday Inn name behind it, and a clear message to the guest that Holiday Inn Express offers a comfortable and efficient stay, at great value, Holiday Inn Express was set for success right from the start.

Besides being smart and savvy about travel, our guests are looking for a hotel that feels efficient, as well as a place that’s energetic and fresh. We have stayed true to our commitment to ‘Smart Travellers’ as the hotel brand that is the ‘’smart choice’’, offering everything they need and nothing they don’t: the Holiday Inn Express Simple. Smart. Spot on. experience.

Everything we do is based on our three Service Behaviours:

• Be Ready

• Be Engaging

• Be On It

Be Ready

Being ready is all about working smarter, not harder! Use the quieter periods to prepare your environment and make sure everything you need is to hand without you having to go searching for it. It’s about taking ownership and getting things done instead of passing them around. It’s about communication and working in a team that’s pulling in the same direction so we neither miss things or duplicate work.

Be Engaging

Being engaging is about paying attention, being positive and being ourselves. Listen to your guests and give them a bit of you in return.

Be On It

Being on it is about more than just willingness, though that is a huge part of it! To be truly helpful for our guests we must make sure we know our hotel and local area inside out. We must ensure we are cross trained and ready for any request that comes our way. Being helpful is all about our True Hospitality Service Skills: Attitude, Confidence, Listening and Responsiveness

Comprehensive implementation and sustainment resources can be found in Brand Central.

To download resources, log into IHG Merlin and follow: Brand Central > Holiday Inn Express> Brand Warehouse > Next Generation > Overview and People