IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms today announces the opening of the Holiday Inn Express San Diego Airport – Old Town after a $2 million conversion.  Conveniently located just minutes from San Diego International Airport, the three-floor hotel has 123 guest rooms featuring seven suites with Jacuzzi tubs and sitting areas. The hotel is hiring 35 employees, ranging from front desk to room service and maintenance.

Located just off of Interstate 5, downtown San Diego and the Convention Center are just a short distance from the hotel, making it an ideal location for business travelers. Northrop Gruman and Lockheed Martin are also located nearby. The hotel is within walking distance of Old Town, where guests can eat at local restaurants, attend an improv show at the National Comedy Theatre, enjoy yoga at a local bikram studio, or relax at Mission Hills Park. The beach, San Diego Zoo and Sea World are also a short drive from the hotel.

“Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travelers,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Delivery, the Americas, IHG. “With more than 2,000 properties worldwide and hundreds more in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in markets like San Diego, providing our guests with a enhanced stay experience at a great value.  We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family with the brand new sign and everything it represents.”

The new hotel includes features in keeping with the $1 billion Holiday Inn relaunch, the biggest ever project of its kind in the history of the hospitality industry. First announced in 2007, the relaunch program creates a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom and guest bath comfort and a redesigned logo and signage.

“More than $2 million was invested to completely refresh the guest rooms with new furniture, bedding, carpet, lighting and bathrooms,” said Yasmine Zaya, general manager. “The Holiday Inn Express brand is modern, fresh, clean and uncomplicated, which is the perfect fit for San Diego.”

Guests at the Holiday Inn Express San Diego Airport – Old Town will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a productive stay while traveling for business or leisure. The hotel’s complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar features a full range of breakfast items including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee.  The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products.  Guests will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

Guest rooms have been completely refreshed and are furnished with comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast 100% Arabica coffee.  Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, free high-speed internet access and free local phone and toll free (U.S. and Canada only), phones with private voicemail and complimentary USA TODAY® newspapers.

The Holiday Inn Express San Diego Airport – Old Town is owned and managed by Best Rest Management under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 1955 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, CA 92110.