IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announces the opening of the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Phoenix Tempe University, which recently underwent a conversion from a Comfort Inn. The $1.5 million renovation includes a new exterior color scheme and a new interior urban design in all 72 guest rooms.

Conveniently located at 1031 E. Apache Boulevard, the three-story, 35,000-square-foot hotel is one block east of Arizona State University and just a half mile from the Mill Street District, which features a mix of outstanding restaurants and shops. The hotel also offers easy access to Interstate 10 and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

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

The new hotel exemplifies the $1 billion Holiday Inn relaunch, the largest 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.

“We’re excited to be joining the Holiday Inn brand family and to be able to provide visitors to the area with outstanding service and a great value,” said General Manager Fred Pratt. “As a result of the global brand relaunch, the Holiday Inn Express brand has been renewed and refreshed, and we believe it fits well with the needs of our community.”

Local points of interest include Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Gardens, Pueblo Grande Indian Museum, Phoenix Convention Center, Old Town Scottsdale, Casino Arizona, University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix International Raceway, Chase Field, US Airways Center and Sun Devil Stadium. The area is also well known for its abundance of world-class golf courses.

With easy access to downtown Phoenix as well as the neighboring communities of Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Chandler and Gilbert, the hotel features amenities such as free high-speed wireless Internet connections in guest rooms and the lobby as well as in the hotel’s 24-hour business center. There is also a fitness center and outdoor pool.

The new Holiday Inn Express offers guests a comfortable, yet affordable, business or leisure stay with innovative preferred-guest upgrades to ensure a pleasurable experience. 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, pancakes and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee.

The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary StaySmart™ 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 crisp fresh bedding that features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

Guest rooms have been completely refreshed and offer new furniture including 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.  All rooms include granite countertops and an urban design scheme with a mix of red, green and java-colored furnishings. Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, free local and toll-free phone service with private voicemail and complimentary USA TODAY® newspapers.