Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, “America’s Hotel,” announced today that a new 122-room Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites recently broke ground, representing another addition to the mid-scale brand’s portfolio of full-service hotels.

This upcoming Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites is owned by Classic Suites, LLC and managed by Beck Company, under a license agreement with an affiliate of Six Continents Hotels, Inc.

“This is the first Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites to be built in Newport News,” said Dan Sweiger, director, Holiday Inn brand marketing. “Development in this growing area is important in expanding our Holiday Inn consumer base and establishing a strong presence in a prime tourist and business location.”

Situated in the heart of Newport News, this new 72,000 square-foot hotel will be located at the intersection of I-64 and J. Clyde Morris Blvd., providing easy access to tourist attractions, including Mariners Museum, Busch Gardens, Virginia Living Museum, Water Country and Colonial Williamsburg. Also a short drive from the hotel are Langley Air Force Base, Ft. Eustis Army Base, Northrup Grumman Newport News Shipyard and Oyster Point Business Park.

Standard Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites guestroom accommodations will feature comfortable double or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, cable television, free long-distance access, hairdryer, coffee machine, iron and ironing board. For the business traveler, guestrooms will provide a work desk and ergonomic chair, data ports, Internet access, complimentary USA Today newspapers, and in-room check-out capabilities.

The Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites-Newport News will feature services and amenities such as a 24-hour front desk, express check out, indoor pool, fitness center, complimentary parking, gift shop, same day laundry and valet and complimentary shuttle service to the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport. The property will feature “Barclay’s”, a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, and the hotel’s meeting space will accommodate up to 80 guests, available for meetings and other food and beverage functions. The hotel will also feature 20 suites with separate living room and kitchen area, sofa sleepers, two televisions, VCR/DVD`s and more.

“We plan on spending $7 million to build this property and look forward to the end result,” said Kimberly L. Christner, hotel general manager. “Newport News is a well-traveled market for tourism and business travel and a perfect fit for the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites product.”

Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites-Newport News will cater to value-oriented travelers offering competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers. The hotel will be located at 943 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, Va., 23601; telephone; (757) 596-6417, and is scheduled to open in September 2003.

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, Kids Eat and Stay Free programs, and the ability to earn Priority Club Rewards points that can be redeemed for great merchandise, airline miles or free room nights, demonstrate the long-standing commitment of Holiday Inns 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 www.holiday-inn.com.

The Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites-Newport News will participate in Priority Club Rewards, the world`s first hotel loyalty program. Guests will 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 hotel.

Six Continents Hotels is a leading global hotel group whose brands include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites. It owns, operates or franchises more than 3,300 hotels and over 515,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world.

The following are some of the service marks owned by Six Continents Hotels, Inc., its subsidiaries or affiliates: Holiday Inn®, Crowne Plaza®, Express by Holiday Inn?, Holiday Inn Select®, Holiday Inn Garden Court®, Holiday Inn SunSpree® Resort, Staybridge Suites® by Holiday Inn, Holidex®, Priority Club®, InterContinental®, Forum®, Parkroyal®, and Centra®.

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