Holiday Inn relaunches 1,200 hotels amid economic downturn

Holiday Inn, a subsidiary hotel chain of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), relaunched 1,200 hotels worldwide on Thursday to gain more market share amid the economic downturn.

The 1,200-hotel relaunch is part of a one-billion-U.S.-dollar relaunch plan, which is the largest in the history of the hospitality industry, with more than 3,300 hotels being updated or improving quality.

The global estate is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010, according to Kevin Kowalski, senior vice president, Global Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands.

"In many ways, an economic downturn is an ideal time to invest in brand," Kowalski told Xinhua. "If you look every recession, back including the Great Depression, the brands have been invested, and provided more value for guests during the recession, gained market share, and came out recession in stronger position."

To mark the relaunch of 1,200 Holiday Inn hotels globally, IHG, one of the world's largest hotel group, also unveiled the Holiday Inn "Key Card Hotel," the first-ever hotel made of key cards in New York City.

IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 4,300 hotels and almost 630,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and regions around the world. The hotel giant has nearly 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline.

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