Holiday Inn Express Hopes of Being First in South Carolina to Achieve LEED Status

Fourth Holiday Inn Express in the Charleston area to feature brand’s new sign
IHG, the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced today that the
Holiday Inn Express and Suites Mount Pleasant-Charleston is expected to open next month. This newly constructed hotel is applying for LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) later this year, which will make it the first hotel in South Carolina to receive this certification.

“Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travelers,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Delivery, The Americas, IHG. “With more than 2,000 properties worldwide and more than 600 properties in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in markets like Mount Pleasant, providing our guests with an enhanced stay experience at a great value. We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family with the brand new sign and everything it represents.”

The Holiday Inn Express Mount Pleasant-Charleston will be one of four Holiday Inn Express hotels open in the Charleston area with the brand’s new sign, which is the seal of approval that they exemplify the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program. First announced in 2007, the Holiday Inn global brand relaunch was established to create a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio.

The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom and guest bath comfort. The global estate of more than 3,300 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010, and more than 1,200 hotels have been relaunched to date.