Holiday Inn 2011 Annual Report Download - page 18

16 IHG Annual Review and Summary Financial Statement 2011
PERFORMANCE GAINS
Worldwide, the combined global RevPAR
for Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express
rose by 6.6 per cent year-on-year.
In the US, home to our biggest market,
Holiday Inn achieved a rate premium of
almost five per cent within the upper
midscale segment and Holiday Inn Express
a premium of almost four per cent.
Canada’s largest Holiday Inn opened in April following
a $20 million renovation. With 513 rooms over
23 floors, Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre is also
the largest hotel to open across North America since
our refit.
CHINA HOSTS BIGGEST HOLIDAY INN
In a milestone deal with the China
division of Las Vegas Sands (LVS), we
signed a franchise contract for the
world’s largest Holiday Inn – Holiday Inn
Macao Cotai Central.
Opening in early 2012, it will offer 1,224
rooms within Sands China’s newest
integrated resort, Sands Cotai Central.
A haven for casino lovers, the resort boasts
a line-up of five leading hotel brands –
including LVS’s The Venetian Macao.
The deal extends a strong strategic
relationship. This year we also launched
the first InterContinental Alliance
Resorts with LVS (see page 8).
STAY SOCIAL
A new social area for Holiday Inn hotels
made its test debut at Holiday Inn
Gwinnett Center, Atlanta.
The Hub at Holiday Inn creates a 24-hour
centre where guests can eat, drink,
connect, relax and have fun.
As well as answering guests’ natural
inclination to interact, The Hub also
transforms the hotel’s food and beverage
offering so that guests can choose ‘grab
and go’, sit-down meals or food to share
– whatever the time of day.
The design makes a focal point of the
bar and has won a Spark Design &
Architecture Award.
Early results are encouraging. On average,
food revenues per occupied room were
up 25 per cent on 2010, and beverage
revenues by 40 per cent during the first
few months of trials.
Two additional hotels will test The Hub
during 2012, enabling us to fine-tune
the concept prior to a global roll-out.
Our newest feature, The Hub at the Holiday Inn
Gwinnett Center, Atlanta, US.
ORANGE LAKE ADDS
SEVENTH RESORT
Vacation ownership developer Orange
Lake Resorts opened a seventh Holiday
Inn Club Vacations Resort in Marco
Island, Florida. Sunset Cove Resort
answers high demand for this flagship
location, offering 36 timeshare units
and family facilities under our tried and
trusted brand. It will be followed by an
eighth opening in Las Vegas during 2012.
COSTA RICAN DEAL
We continued to expand in Central
America with the opening of Holiday Inn
San Jose Escazu in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The new-build 160-room property is
the third of seven scheduled openings
resulting from a partnership with Grupo
AGRISAL’s hotel division. Separately, the
brand also made its debut in Bogotá,
Colombia.
Holiday Inn San Jose Escazu, San Jose, Costa Rica
RACING TO THE OLYMPIC FINISH
Holiday Inn colleagues, guests and
Priority Club Rewards members in the
UK enjoyed a running master class with
gold medallist Mo Farah and took to
the track with world champion cyclist
Mark Cavendish.
The events backed our partnership with
the London 2012 Organising Committee,
LOCOG, which includes manning the
Athletes’ Village.
This is more than a sponsorship. We’re
using the deal to provide guests, athletes,
officials, fans and our people with a
range of unforgettable experiences.
During the year we selected 70 of our
colleagues to run with the Olympic Torch,
and invited applications from around
the world to fill around 100 roles at the
Athletes’ Village.
Meanwhile, 16 athletes are working
in our UK hotels in order to earn while
they train, and we’re supporting 50 British
athletes with over 1,500 free room nights
as they travel and train for the Games.
As well as showcasing the brand on the
world stage, our three-year partnership
with LOCOG has generated nearly
£11 million in extra revenue for our
hotels to date.