Holiday Inn Express announced last week that the new 112-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Bluffton at Hilton Head will open April 2, representing another addition to the mid-scale brand’s portfolio of limited-service hotels.

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Bluffton at Hilton Head is owned by Stafford Properties, and will be managed by Stafford Hospitality under a license agreement with an affiliate of Six Continents Hotels, Inc.

“This is the second Holiday Inn Express hotel to be built in the Hilton Head area,” said Jenifer Zeigler, vice president of marketing for the Holiday Inn Express brand. “Development in this growing resort area is important in establishing a strong presence in a prime tourist location and expanding our Holiday Inn Express consumer base.”

Situated in Kittie`s Crossing, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Bluffton at Hilton Head is within walking distance of numerous restaurants, shops and some of the most renowned golf courses in the area. This new hotel is located just five miles from Hilton Head Island and 24 miles from historic Savannah, Ga.

The new, $7.3 million property offers a variety of amenities such as a swimming pool, an exercise room, banquet facilities, meeting rooms and business center with high-speed internet access. Thirty of the 112 guestrooms are suites. Hotel suites will feature microwaves, refrigerators and full size sofa sleepers.

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, Navigator Magazine and in-room checkout capabilities.

“The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Bluffton at Hilton Head is designed to be the smart choice for travelers in this high-growth area,” said Cicero Yow, hotel general manager. “At the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Bluffton at Hilton Head, we offer guests a comfortable and affordable stay in a prime area for tourist attractions and sight-seeing.”

Holiday Inn Express hotels are the smart choice for value oriented travelers looking for fresh, clean and modern hotels. The new hotel, which will offer competitive rates for business and leisure travelers, will offer a complimentary breakfast bar (featuring fresh fruit, cereal and pastries), free local (U.S. and Canada only) and 1-800 phone calls, and the ability to earn Priority Club® Rewards points that can be redeemed for great merchandise, airline miles, or free room nights in more than 3,200 hotels.

The hotel’s address is 35 Bluffton Road, Bluffton, SC, 29910; telephone; 843-757-2002 and facsimile; 843-757-2425.

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. The brand also captured the 2001 gold EFFIE for its Stay Smart® advertising campaign, marking the third consecutive EFFIE the campaign has won. The national EFFIEs are the only major awards to recognize business results attributable to advertising campaigns.

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.

——-