InterContinental Hotels Group has announced a worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand family, which comprises the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands.

All Holiday Inn hotels worldwide will be progressively relaunched to further enhance quality and drive consistency across the brand portfolio. The relaunch will incorporate a new service promise, a redesigned welcome experience as well as refreshed guestrooms with signature bedding and bathroom products.

The new brand signage will be featured at hotels once they have successfully implemented the relaunch program, resulting in a refreshed and contemporary brand image for Holiday Inn. All Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels currently open or under development will target to have the relaunch program in place by the end of 2010, with the first Asia Pacific new-look hotels expected in China, Thailand and Australia by the second quarter of 2008.

In Asia Pacific, IHG has an operating portfolio of 100 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels (26,900 rooms) and nearly 60 hotels (17,500 rooms) in the development pipeline.

IHG expects the relaunch program to allow Holiday Inn hotels to generate significantly higher revenue per available room, and deliver an improved return on investment for their owners. Owners and franchisees will invest up to US$1 billion over a three year period in total to carry out the brand relaunch and meet the required service and quality levels.