Holiday Inn Express announced today that the new 118-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Santa Clarita opened Dec. 17, representing another addition to the mid-scale brand’s portfolio of limited-service hotels.

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Santa Clarita is owned and managed by Ocean Park Hotels, Inc., under a license agreement with an affiliate of Six Continents Hotels, Inc.

“This is the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Santa Clarita, Calif.,” said Jenifer Zeigler, vice president of marketing for the Holiday Inn Express brand. “Development in this growing area, which is located near prime tourist attractions, is important in expanding our Holiday Inn Express consumer base.”

Situated in the heart of Santa Clarita, one of the fastest growing residential and business sectors in Southern California, this 60,356 square-foot hotel is within walking distance to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor Water Park. The property is just minutes from Castaic Lake, home to a variety of fishing competitions and water sport events throughout the year. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Santa Clarita is just a short drive from Universal Studios and Universal City Walk.

The new, $9.5 million property, close to natural parkland and nature trails that connect to the Pacific Crest Trail, also offers a variety of hotel amenities such as an outdoor swimming pool and fitness center. Each guestroom has triple-glazed windows, a microwave, refrigerator and high speed Internet access. Ideal for business meetings and other food and beverage functions, the hotel offers over 650 square-feet of meeting space. A 24-hour Denny’s restaurant is conveniently located adjacent to the hotel.

Standard Holiday Inn Express guest-room accommodations will feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, cable television, free long-distance access, hairdryer, coffee machine, non-stick iron and ironing board and safety deposit boxes. For those travelers with business needs, guestrooms will also provide a work desk and ergonomic chair, data ports, multi-line phones with private voicemail, Internet access, complimentary USA Today newspapers and in-room checkout capabilities.

“The new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Santa Clarita is the smart choice for travelers seeking a comfortable and affordable stay in a prime location,” said Alan Hurd, general manager. “Santa Clarita is a well-traveled market and perfect fit for our first Holiday Inn Express hotel.”

Holiday Inn Express hotels are the smart choice for value conscious travelers looking for fresh, clean and modern hotels. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Santa Clarita offers competitive rates for business and leisure travelers and free local (U.S. and Canada only) and 1-800 phone calls. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Santa Clarita will be one of the latest hotels featuring the Express StartSM breakfast bar, once implemented first quarter 2003. The new breakfast bar, which will become a standard at all Holiday Inn Express hotels by April 2003, will feature traditional morning favorites including Smart RoastTM 100% Arabica coffee and cinnamon rolls with an exclusive recipe developed especially for the Holiday Inn Express brand.

The hotel is located at 27513 Wayne Mills Place, Santa Clarita, Calif. Telephone: (661) 284-2101; Facsimilie: (661) 284-3550.

Holiday Inn Express continues to set the pace in the “limited-service” hotel category as the fastest-growing hotel brand, opening on average two new hotels every week. Holiday Inn Express adds to its achievements a growing list of industry and consumer accolades such as being named the top hotel choice for entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur magazine as well as the top hotel brand in its segment by Business Travel News. Holiday Inn Express captured the Travel Industry Association’s 2001 Odyssey Award, in the category of Travel Advertising, for its Stay Smart® advertising campaign. The brand has also captured the American Marketing Association`s EFFIE awards (1999-2002). The national EFFIEs are the only major awards to recognize business results attributable to advertising campaigns.

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Santa Clarita participates in Priority Club Rewards, the world`s first hotel loyalty program. Guests benefit from new member-preferred features like points transfer, points purchase and the fastest way to Elite status, with competitive features of no blackout dates and no point expiration to form a powerful program that is easy and truly rewarding. According to CNN: “The new Priority Club Rewards program is the best one around…” Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free and Priority Club Rewards points can be redeemed for great merchandise, airline miles, or free room nights at more than 3,300 hotels worldwide. Guests may enroll online at www.priorityclub.com, call 800-272-9273 or register at any Holiday Inn Express hotel.

Holiday Inn Express hotels offer outstanding value and customer service in more than 1,200 locations around the world. For more information about Holiday Inn Express or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.

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