Holiday Inn is fastest growing brand of IHG
IHG Hotels and Resorts has partnered with a Thai real estate firm to set up the first internationally-branded hotel in Hat Yai, a city in southern Thailand, about 950 km from capital Bangkok.
In a press statement, IHG says that the property, Holiday Inn Express will be set up in collaboration with Park Avenue Property Company, a residential real estate developer in Hat Yai. It adds that scheduled to open in 2027, the 160-key Holiday Inn Express Hat Yai will be the first internationally branded hotel in Hat Yai, offering travellers the brand’s signature hallmarks including an Express Start Breakfast.
Vivek Bhalla
“Together with our new partner Park Avenue Property Company, we will be introducing the world’s largest hotel brand to Hat Yai, expanding IHG’s presence to eleven destinations across the Kingdom. Famous the world over, our mainstream brands continue to be the first choice for guests and owners everywhere. In Thailand, more than half of IHG’s existing estate and close to half of our pipeline is made up of Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express hotels. Expanding our brand presence into a new destination underlines the enduring appeal of our brands as well as IHG’s strong enterprise including our award-winning IHG One Rewards loyalty programme,” says Vivek Bhalla, Managing Director, South East Asia & Korea, IHG Hotels & Resorts.
“Holiday Inn Express Hat Yai is our first venture into the hotel segment, and we are excited to work with the IHG team and confident that together we will create a market-leading midscale hotel that will be enjoyed by business and leisure travellers. The Holiday Inn Express brand has a good track record in Thailand and is popular with travellers seeking a comfortable base where they can rest, relax and recharge. Hat Yai is a major hub for Southern Thailand and a lively vibrant city known for its fusion of cultures, bustling markets and cuisine,” says Prawit Phongprapat, Managing Director, Park Avenue Property Company.
A 25-minute drive from the Hat Yai International Airport and a 10-minute drive from the city centre, Holiday Inn Express Hat Yai will have facilities including a 24/7 Express Café & Bar, fitness centre and meeting facilities.
Hat Yai is popular with locals and international travellers from the neighbouring region. With a vibrant food scene and rich culture, it is particularly popular with travellers from Malaysia and just a three-hour drive from Penang.
IHG says that Holiday Inn Express is its largest and fastest-growing hotel brand, with more than 3,000 open properties globally, and over 340,000 rooms spanning in excess of 50 countries. It caters to smart, savvy travellers who are on-the-move and need a hotel to serve as a no-fuss basecamp where they can rest, relax and recharge before making their next connection. Holiday Inn Express offers basics done brilliantly, including its signature Express Start Breakfast.
There are 25 open Holiday Inn Express properties in South East Asia and Korea following the brand’s latest openings in the region – Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Central Pier and Holiday Inn Express Bali Sunset Road. Another 13 properties are in a growing regional pipeline, including Thailand and Philippines.
With 39 open hotels across nine brands and 33 properties in its pipeline, Thailand is a key growth market for IHG as it will double its estate across the country in a few years.
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