InterContinental Hotels Group announced
today that two 21st-century model Holiday Inn hotels recently broke ground
in southeast Georgia; Brunswick will welcome a 103-room property and
Pooler will welcome a 102-room property.  Developed to be more efficient
and less expensive to build and maintain, the prototypes bring the heritage
of Holiday Inn to life through classic Holiday Inn artwork and a signature
restaurant concept named after Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. 
Guests will be welcomed with a modernized version of the
iconographic “Great Sign” and guestrooms that feature custom finishes and
well appointed work stations. In a series of nationwide prototype developments following other
groundbreakings this year in Santee, S.C. and Poplar Bluff, Mo., the Holiday
Inn Gateway Center-Brunswick is the third to break ground in 2004; the
Holiday Inn-Savannah Centre, is the sixth.

“With the addition of these prototype hotels, Holiday Inn has arrived at the
perfect convergence of tradition and innovation that will define the Holiday
Inn of the future,” said Mark Snyder, senior vice president, Brand
Management, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts. “With the value and
authenticity business travelers and families expect from this beloved brand,
these hotels represent the new face of Holiday Inn which will redefine guest
comfort in towns across America.”

An iconic beacon that came to embody the brand, guests of the Holiday Inn
Gateway Center-Brunswick and the Holiday Inn-Savannah Centre
prototypes will see a modernized “Great Sign” that features the same
distinctive design elements as the classic Great Sign - the asymmetrical
design, neon lights, reader board and guiding star - but updated to endear
itself to a new generation of travelers and meet modern signage dimensions.

Throughout the hotels, guests will see memorable images from the Holiday
Inn brand history, including Kemmons Wilson departing on his Holiday Inn
jet, the Great Sign as a 50s movie set backdrop and a modern take on the
iconic Great Sign. 

Kem’s Café, the new restaurant concept named after Wilson, will feature a
wide array of “comfort food,” including the All-American Cheeseburger,
Kem’s Meatloaf and apple pie. The restaurant will also introduce “Kem’s
Collection,” a set of specially-designed salad dressings and sauces,
including Old Fashioned Memphis Mustard and Barbecue Sauce.  The
collection will be packaged in bottles bearing the face of Kemmons Wilson
and will eventually be available for sale to the public. Kem’s Café will also
offer the standard Holiday Inn Best-4-Breakfast(R) menu and Kids Eat Free
program. 

Designed to accommodate the 21st century business and leisure traveler,
each guestroom will feature a newly-designed breakaway armoire that allows
guests to see the TV from anywhere in the room, 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, iron and
ironing board.  Recognizing Wilson’s legendary impact on American travel, a
copy of his book Half Luck, Half Brains will be placed in every guest room at
the prototype hotels. 

The 67,000 sq.-ft. Holiday Inn Gateway Center-Brunswick will be
conveniently located off of I-95; the property will be within walking distance
of the Brunswick Mall and just minutes from St. Simon’s Island, Jekyll Island
and Georgia Islands Outlet Mall. Jacksonville Airport and Savannah Airport
are also short drives from the hotel.  The Holiday Inn Gateway Center-
Brunswick is owned and managed by The Dixon Management Group, Inc.,
under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels
Group.

“We’re proud to be a part of the next generation of Holiday Inn hotels—
Brunswick, Ga., is a well-traveled market and a perfect fit for the new
prototype,” said Bruce Dixon and Otha Dixon, co-owners, Dixon
Management Group, Inc.  “We’ve been dedicated IHG franchisees since
1992 and we’re just thrilled that IHG has developed this handsome
prototype.”

The 63,000 sq.-ft. Holiday Inn-Savannah Centre will be just minutes from
Historic Savannah, Ga.  Popular beach destinations including Hilton Head,
S.C. are also a short drive from the hotel. The Holiday Inn-Savannah Centre
is owned by Pooler Laxmi, Inc., and managed by Image Hotels, under a
license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.

“A home away from home for generations of travelers, Holiday Inn has
always represented quality and comfort, and the new prototype takes this
Holiday Inn ‘experience’ to a whole new level,” said Kal Patel, president,
Image Hotels.

The first prototype hotel was opened in Duluth, Ga., a few miles north of
Atlanta, in January 2004. Both hotels are scheduled to open first quarter
2005.

The new Holiday Inn prototypes will also offer a variety of other amenities
such as complimentary shuttle service to local restaurants and businesses,
complimentary parking, indoor pool and fitness center. Both hotels are
available for business meetings and banquets.

With more than 1,500 hotels worldwide, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts is
the most widely recognized lodging brand in the world.  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 the
Kids Eat and Stay Free programs demonstrate the long-standing
commitment of Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts to providing what matters
most to travelers.

The Holiday Inn Gateway Center-Brunswick and the Holiday Inn-Savannah
Centre will participate in Priority Club Rewards, the world’s first hotel loyalty
program spanning more than 3,500 hotels in nearly 100 countries. Members
earn their choice of points toward free hotel nights or merchandise, or earn
frequent flyer miles with more than 40 domestic and international airline
partners. The program offers 10 points or 2.5 miles per U.S. dollar spent on
eligible charges including room rate, food and beverage, telephone, laundry
and in-room movies at Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express,
Staybridge Suites or Candlewood Suites hotels. Members earn 2,000 points
or a minimum of 500 miles per stay at InterContinental hotels. Enrollment in
Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests enroll online at www.priorityclub.com,
by calling 1-888-211-9874 or at the front desk of any Holiday Inn hotel.
Priority Club Rewards is the world’s largest hotel loyalty program with more
than 22 million members.
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