IHG has officially inaugurated the Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50, the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Gurugram, India, ahead of the property’s Sept. 15 opening. IHG’s regional leadership team, including CEO/EMEAA Kenneth Macpherson and Managing Director/IMEA Pascal Gauvin, was present at the ceremony.
The hotel is the first property to open under IHG’s partnership established last year with Samhi for a portfolio of 14 Holiday Inn Express hotels representing some 2,000 guestrooms open or under development. “The conversion and the rebranding exercise of our existing portfolio to the Holiday Inn Express brand is one of the largest in the hospitality industry,” said Ashish Jakhanwala, manageing director/CEO of Samhi, in a statement, “We strongly believe that a combination of strong locations, a vibrant product and the power of the brand Holiday Inn Express will lead the way for the midscale hotel space in India.”
The hotels will be located across key cities in India such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata, and are being renovated and upgraded.
Gurugram is one of the fastest-growing business hubs in India, said Vivek Bhalla, regional VP, SWA, at IHG. “Our growth in India is fueled by the Holiday Inn brand family, and this partnership underscores our commitment to grow our midscale offering in the country. Holiday Inn Express is our fastest growing brand globally, and we see further opportunity in the South West Asia market to expand our footprint.”
The Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50 has 205 guestrooms in a mixed-use complex with a shopping mall, restaurants, entertainment and wellness facilities. The hotel is 30 minutes from Indira Gandhi International Airport and the railway station and in close proximity to the Metro station.