Second Holiday Inn Hotel with Sporting News Grill Opens in Texas

By: Holiday Inn | 35 Shares 279 Reads

Sports-themed restaurant aimed at Gen-X to be part of Holiday Inn Arlington-Northeast

June 11, 2008 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms announced today that the 147-room, 21st-century Holiday Inn Arlington-Northeast has plans to open this month. This will be the second Holiday Inn to feature the Sporting News Grill, a restaurant concept specifically design to attract the 53.1 million members of Generation X, who represent the most significant market opportunity both today and into the future. The first Sporting News Grill opened in 2006 in Dallas, Texas.

Developed to be more efficient to build, operate and maintain, the 102,000 square foot hotel will bring the iconic heritage of the Holiday Inn brand to life in a modern, innovative design that will set new standards for business travelers and families alike. In addition to featuring the Sporting News Grill, the Holiday Inn Arlington-Northeast will showcase the brand's new sign, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program. First announced in 2007, the relaunch program was established to create a more contemporary brand image, increase quality and drive consistency.

"Focus groups have shown that our guests love sports, and providing them a place to watch their favorite team and grab a bite to eat while away from home is a fitting complement to our current involvement as the 'Official Hotel of Major League Baseball' and sponsor of the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer," said John Merkin, Senior Vice President, Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands, the Americas. "As the home of the Texas Rangers and the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, Arlington was a natural choice for the second location of the Sporting News Grill, and we look forward to showing off our new sign."

Bold photographs taken from the rich archive of the Sporting News pay tribute to both legendary and contemporary athletes as well as some of the greatest moments in sports history, while plasma televisions broadcast current games and events. Unique "plasma trees" constructed using high-quality plasma screen televisions are surrounded by a perimeter of tables and chairs, providing guests with an unobstructed view of the action from any angle.

The restaurant's design by Fort Lauderdale, Fla. based Zspace Inc. is contemporary and stylish, yet focuses on comfort and avoids pretension. Design touches like hardwood-style flooring, solid wood tables and unique circular booth seating are intended to elevate the overall experience for guests. And the division between the bar and seated dining area make the restaurant an equally suitable option for social events or a business dinner.

The Sporting News Grill lunch and dinner menus reflect the tastes of the Generation X sports fan, with specialty burgers, Choice Steaks, unique appetizers and a signature Sporting News Grill steak salad. And in keeping with the spirit of a sports bar, there will be an extensive selection of beers available. The restaurant will offer Holiday Inn's Best-4-Breakfast® menu, and kids 12 and younger eat free when ordering from the kids' menu and accompanied by a dining adult*.

"A home-away-from-home for generations of travelers, Holiday Inn has always represented quality and comfort, and this new hotel takes the Holiday Inn experience to a whole new level," said Silvia Tanner, general manager. "Not only do we have the Sporting News Grill, but the next generation design of our hotel is the perfect convergence of tradition and innovation that will define the Holiday Inn of the future."

Guests at the Holiday Inn Arlington-Northeast will see artwork throughout the hotel reflecting memorable images from the Holiday Inn brand history, including founder Kemmons Wilson departing his Holiday Inn jet, a stylized version of the Great Sign - the iconic beacon that came to embody the brand - and the Great Sign as a '50s-style movie set backdrop.

The hotel design debuts a bold change in room décor for Holiday Inn, creating a residential atmosphere that features iconic representations of the brand's history throughout the hotel. The bedspread and carpet display simple, organic patterns in stand-out colors like gold, black and vibrant red, and each guestroom features a newly designed breakaway armoire that allows guests to see the TV from anywhere in the room. Upgraded features like faux leather ottomans, a variety of lamps, refrigerators and granite vanities will all be standard in each room. The residential design includes business-focused necessities like an ergonomic work station, data ports, complimentary high speed Internet access, WiFi capabilities and AT&T VoIP phone systems, which will allow guests to conduct conference calls for up to six participants even while using their computer online. In addition, each room will have the standard Holiday Inn guestroom accommodations - comfortable double, queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, cable television, hairdryer, coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave, iron and ironing board.

The Holiday Inn Arlington-Northeast will also offer a variety of other amenities including outside patios for dining, socializing or special events; a media room with 62" LCD HGTV with surround sound; and complimentary airport shuttle service. With 2,400 square feet of function space, the hotel will also be available for business meetings and banquets.

Conveniently located just off Interstate 30 in close proximity to four major entertainment districts, the property is less than a mile from a wide variety of moderate to upscale dining and shopping experiences. Several corporate offices are also a short drive from the hotel site, including Office Depot, American Airlines and Boeing.

Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. The industry's first and largest guest loyalty program has more than 37 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's almost 4,000 hotels worldwide.

The Holiday Inn Arlington-Northeast is owned and managed by Newcrestt Management LLC, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 1311 Wet and Wild Way, Arlington, Texas, 76011.

* Kids Eat Free is available at Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Select® and Holiday Inn SunSpree® Resort hotels in the U.S. and Canada. Kids Eat Free is available for kids age 12 years old and under when ordering in the hotel's restaurant from the Kids' Menu and when accompanied by a family member dining from the regular menu. For registered guests only. Limit 4 kids per dining family. Not available for room service or with room rates negotiated for groups of 10 or more rooms, travel industry rates or employee rates.

About Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts

With nearly 1,400 hotels worldwide, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts is the most widely recognized lodging brand in the world. In fact, Holiday Inn was one of the first international hotel brands to establish a presence in China in 1984. Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts provides the services that business travelers need, while also offering a comfortable atmosphere where all people can relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming pools, fitness centers and comfortable lounges. The casual atmosphere and amenities such as meeting and on-site business facilities, KidSuites rooms, and Kids Eat and Stay Free programs, demonstrate the long-standing commitment of Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts to serving travelers and have helped to establish the brand as "America's Favorite Hotel." For more information about Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit http://www.holidayinn.com/.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 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, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.

IHG pioneered the travel industry's first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG's global corporate responsibility focus. IHG is the first major hotel group to have measured the environmental and carbon footprints of hotels that operate under our brands globally and is in the process of setting reduction targets.

With more than 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG needs to recruit around 150,000 people over the next few years to meet its global expansion plans.

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 programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media

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