NORWALK, CT—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) opened the first property of its new EVEN Hotels brand here.
EVEN Hotels was launched in 2012 and, according to IHG, it is designed to meet the demand for wellness-minded travelers to maintain their balance on the road. The brand was developed as part of IHG’s consumer insight and segmentation work.
In the pipeline are four other EVEN Hotels properties: two in midtown Manhattan, one in Brooklyn, NY, and one in Rockville, MD, which is expected to open before the end of Q2 2014. The brand’s key markets are the Tri-state area, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles.
Kirk Kinsell, president, the Americas, IHG, stated: “Today is truly a milestone for IHG as we announce the opening of our first EVEN Hotels property in Norwalk and prepare to open our second on Rockville, Maryland, later this month. We know that for the traveling public, the ability to maintain their health routine while on the road is becoming more and more important and EVEN Hotels provides the tools and encouragement to make healthier choices while on the road at an approachable price point.
“Through a carefully designed hotel and service culture,” he continued, “created with the needs of our target guest at the core, we know EVEN Hotels can deliver a better experience to travelers for whom wellness is so important. We firmly believe that the EVEN brand will be a key driver in market share growth in the U.S. as well as a unique, differentiated choice for our franchise owners.”
The brand targets four components: “Eat Well, Rest Easy, Keep Active and Accomplish More.” Eating well is encouraged with a Simple.Natural.Good F&B promise with a menu of freshly prepared items and health grab-and-go items with clear nutritional and ingredient labeling. The guestrooms encourage resting easy with a space designed to reduce clutter and promote relaxation with a Premium Sleep System featuring natural eucalyptus linens that offer a cooler sleep, adjustable LED mood lighting and showers with all natural EO bath products. To keep active, the brand offers an In-Room Training Zone workout using the EVEN Hotels trainer, a natural-light filled three-zone Athletic Studio, spin and yoga classes help and regular GM-led morning community runs. Ergonomically designed movable work spaces allow guests to “Accomplish More,” with free WiFi, easy-to-access multimedia ports in rooms and common spaces, tablet-based digital programming and a 40-in. HDTV.