April 21, 2009 // Franchising.com // This week the Express by Holiday Inn 'Breakfast Express' bus hits the streets of London and Birmingham offering free breakfasts to the public.
The initiative was developed to raise awareness of the importance of breakfast and highlight that Express by Holiday Inn hotels provide the meal to all their guests. Stocked with complimentary continental breakfasts and a dining area, the bus will fortify those who may have skipped the meal before heading for work.
The Express by Holiday Inn breakfast team will give out one thousand free breakfasts across the two days and also make stops at rival hotel groups, Travelodge and Premier Inn. Unlike Express by Holiday Inn, neither chain offers the meal within their overnight rate so the bus will be calling by some of their London and Birmingham hotels to offer their hungry guests a better start to their day.
Research recently conducted by Express by Holiday Inn showed that workers failing to eat a proper breakfast are costing the UK economy a staggering £22bn every year, equivalent to 923 million lost man hours. This demonstrates the importance of including the first meal of the day in your daily routine.
Jane Bednall, spokesperson for Express by Holiday Inn, said: "By taking our 'Breakfast Express' bus on the road we aim to help people realise the benefits of including the meal in their daily routine. Our research showed that those who skip breakfast can be left feeling sluggish and less productive, which is why we believe it's essential to provide breakfast for everyone who stays with us."
Express by Holiday Inn's continental breakfast is included in the price of every guest room. The hotel breakfast selection includes tea, coffee or hot chocolate, fruit juices, a range of cereals, croissants, pastries and other bakery items, a selection of preserves, yoghurts and a range of reduced-fat breakfast products. The breakfast provided today is not representative of the wide range available in an Express by Holiday Inn hotel.
Express by Holiday Inn offers guests a great value for money experience, including a complimentary continental breakfast, comfortable rooms and an invigorating power shower. Customers also have the opportunity to benefit further from their stay thanks to the hotel group's loyalty programme, Priority Club Rewards. These points can either be redeemed against free stays worldwide across all IHG (InterContinental Hotel Group) hotels or exchanged for shop vouchers for many high street stores.
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 4,150 hotels and almost 620,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with 42 million members worldwide.
IHG has more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 200,000 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.
Holiday Inn offers today's business and leisure travellers dependability, friendly service, modern facilities and excellent value.