Holiday Inn Express is a value-oriented hotel chain that makes its services -- ranging from standard overnight stays to more complex event hosting -- available to any client looking for a good deal. The company's focus, however, is on business travelers and short-term guests. The hotelier strives for clean and comfortable rooms, a friendly and accessible staff, and pricing that can accommodate any traveler's budget.
Holiday Inn Express opened in 1990 as an offshoot of the Holiday Inn hotel chain. The concept was to provide an "express" hotel that offered reasonable pricing with limited services. Like the original Holiday Inn chain, Holiday Inn Express belongs to the InterContinental Hotels Group, a corporation comprising internationally known hotel chains.
Despite being labeled with "limited services," Holiday Inn Express provides ample amenities for a visitor's needs. The Express hotels offer a self-service breakfast bar called Express Start; it features standard breakfast fare including eggs, meats, pancakes, cereal, yogurt, bagels and muffins as well as breakfast beverages such as milk, juice and coffee. Express locations offer business centers with computer, printer and fax capabilities, and Express hotels in the United States also feature free wireless Internet. Most Holiday Inn Express properties also feature a fitness center, swimming pool and hot tub. "Limited services," then, comes down to the Express hotels' lack of in-house restaurants and lounges.
Because Holiday Inn Express focuses on reasonable pricing and value to its patrons, the hotel chain accommodates AAA discounts and offers a discount program for seniors ages 62 and older. Holiday Inn Express also offers specialty guest packages, ranging from a Pizza Delivery package to a Tourist Adventure Package to a Premier Movie Package, all of which are designed to enhance a guest's vacation options while remaining affordable. Also, patrons can sign up for an e-mail newsletter, which features exclusive perks and offers from Holiday Inn Express, or enroll in the Priority Club, a points-based program in which guests can earn free hotel stays, airline miles and other rewards.
Holiday Inn Express can also assist its guests with vacation planning. For guests who have a general idea of how to spend their time off but do not know where exactly to go, Holiday Inn Express offers multiple trip ideas. The company's main trip idea categories include Dream Honeymoons, Romantic Getaways, Beach Vacations and Winter Vacations, and each category features several domestic and international travel options that fall within those themes.
Budget-conscious event planners can also take advantage of Holiday Inn Express's services. The hotels offer ample space for group meetings and events, and many locations feature ballrooms suitable for weddings. Holiday Inn Express recognizes the need for affordability, and provides on its website group event planning resources such as a budget planner and group events checklist.
For clients who seek value without losing quality or service, Holiday Inn Express is a comfortable and affordable choice. Even with its "limited service" format, the hotel chain provides the necessary amenities for an enjoyable experience away from home.
