TORONTO—IHG has crossed the milestone of 100 open Holiday Inn Express hotels in Canada, with the opening of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Trois-Rivières in Quebec. The 111-room hotel is owned by Groupe Robin.
On the heels of this 100th hotel milestone are three additional openings for the brand in Canada: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Brantford; Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kelowna – East; and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Moncton.
With 103 open hotels and 24 additional hotels in the development pipeline, Holiday Inn Express properties account for more than 56% of IHG’s Canadian portfolio—which is more than double the number of open hotels than the next leading brand in the segment.
“There is a market need for upper-midscale hotels,” said Jonathan Lund, regional VP, Canada, IHG. “In 2017 alone, IHG Canada experienced unprecedented growth with 24 new hotels 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 travelers. In Canada, there are significantly more secondary and tertiary markets (i.e. with a population of less than 100,000) than there are metropolitan markets (i.e. with a population of more than 100,000). With 75% of Canada’s hotels included in the economy, mid-market and upper-mid-market segments, this may explain why hotels like Holiday Inn Express are so relevant and in demand.
“Reaching the milestone of 100 open Holiday Inn Express hotels is a tremendous achievement for IHG in Canada,” said Jennifer Gribble, VP, global, Avid Hotels, mainstream growth. “Not only does it illustrate the appeal of this iconic brand to developers and domestic travelers 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.”