Pullman, Wash.—July 29, 2010—This month the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, located at 1190 SE Bishop Blvd., celebrated 16 years of service within the Pullman area and its completion of a $1.8 million renovation by holding an Open House the likes of which the community had not seen before. During the "Sweet 16" event, city officials, local businesses and Washington State university representatives toured the 130-room facility (including 24 suites) which was decked out in true 1980s teen-party fashion for the event, complete with "Sixteen Candles" and "Pretty in Pink" theme suites.

"The third time certainly was the charm," said Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites General Manager Meghan Wiley, referring to the third renovation since the property opened in 1994. "It's hard to believe this property is 16 years young. It's absolutely beautiful! We owe a lot to our brand company InterContinental Hotels Group, and our management company, The Hotel Group, for seeing us through this renovation and helping us to reintroduce the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Pullman. It's a property that we are quite proud to operate, and it's one the community and our valued guests are extremely excited to visit. Not only was our party a huge success, but this hotel is a big hit with all who walk through our doors.”

More than 150 guests explored the upgraded facility, designed by Vandervert Construction of Spokane, Wash. Guestrooms boast new furnishings, fixtures and equipment, including: 32-inch flat screen plasma TVs, ergonomic desk chairs, carpet, drapes, wall paper, furniture, bedding, in-room microwaves and refrigerators. Guest bathrooms now feature new granite countertops, tiled floors, new tubs and vanities, while the lobby area boasts new tiled and carpeted floors, and additional breakfast bar space. Other public-space upgrades include new wallpaper and lighting in the guest hallways, along with new indoor pool/patio furnishings and new computers for the business center. The property also features 1,100 square-feet of flexible meeting space, and complimentary Express Start Breakfast each morning and evening cookies and milk. 
 
'You look Mahhhvellous'
Tammy Lewis, Executive Director, Pullman Chamber of Commerce, said as she was touring the new facility, the hallways were filled with "oohs" and "aahs" at every turn.
 
"The Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Pullman is a real beauty," Lewis said. "Quality hotel space is in high demand in Pullman. With visitors coming from all over the world to visit Washington State University and the surrounding areas, we need hotels we can be proud of and that keep visitors coming back to the area. Local hotel owners Wenzel and Julanne Leff did an outstanding job with this renovation. Not only is Pullman the 'place to be' in the Northwest, but the same can now be said of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites."
 
Nancy Swanger, Director of the School of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University, Pullman, had this to say: "In a down economy, when travelers may have limited budgets or travel less frequently, they want every experience to be great—whether it is for business or leisure.  Personally, if I only have a certain amount of money to spend, I want to make sure that I am getting 'the most bang for my buck.'  If I visit a property that appears old and tired, I will likely look elsewhere for my next stay. The Holiday Inn Express & Suites here in Pullman is absolutely beautiful. Actually, it was always a nice property, but now it's even better.
 
"This hotel has always had a great reputation in the community and on the campus; it’s been very well run since opening," Swanger said. "The re-launch of the renovated property just reaffirms its place as the brand of choice for travelers to the region.  Meghan and her team are award-winning for many reasons; the attention to detail in that property is impeccable! As I was doing the tour, I noticed that the hangers in the show rooms were changed out to be pink and black, in keeping with the 16th birthday celebration theme colors—I was most impressed."
 
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites is situated less than one mile from Washington State University, less than four miles from WSU’s Palouse Ridge Golf Course, less than eight miles from the University of Idaho and only 10 minutes from the Pullman/Moscow (Idaho) Regional Airport.
 
“We are thrilled that the Pullman community was so receptive and supportive of the revamped Holiday Inn Express & Suites," said Douglas Dreher, President and CEO of The Hotel Group. "The renovation program coincided with a corporate re-launch conducted by IHG to create a more contemporary brand image and consistency in all 3,125 IHG brand products, which includes all Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites around the world. Based on the feedback from those who attended our Sweet 16 party, the upgrades were right on the mark. Today the Holiday Inn Express & Suites remains the No. 1 choice for hotel accommodations in Pullman. We'd like to thank all those who helped make the renovation -- and the Sweet 16 celebration -- a huge success."
 
For more information on the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Pullman, visit www.hiexpress.com/pullmanwa.

About The Hotel Group

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms.  IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 4,200 hotels and over 620,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world.  The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Club Vacations™, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 43 million members worldwide.
                                                                                            
IHG has nearly 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 140,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
 
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media.