Holiday Inn Express® leads IHG®’s growth across the UK and Ireland

150 150 Daniel Fountain
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InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) has announced another step forward in the UK & Ireland with the signing of three more Holiday Inn Express® hotels: Holiday Inn Express® Grimsby, Holiday Inn Express® Dublin – City Centre and Holiday Inn Express® Middlesbrough – Centre Square. The Holiday Inn Express brand is leading the company’s growth in this priority market.The first of the three to open its doors (towards the end of 2015) will be Holiday Inn Express Grimsby. The 80-room new build property will operate under a franchise agreement with Brayford Hotels. The hotel will be centrally located in the town of Grimsby nearby the main railway station.
Based in Ireland’s capital, the next hotel to open in the spring of 2016 is Holiday Inn Express Dublin – City Centre. The 198-room conversion property will operate under a franchise agreement with existing IHG owner Findlater House Ltd. The hotel will be located in the heart of Dublin’s shopping district on O’Connell Street and is well positioned to attract a healthy mix of business and leisure travellers.

Also due to open in 2016 is Holiday Inn Express Middlesbrough – Centre Square. The property will be converted from an existing office building and will emerge as a 138-room Holiday Inn Express and operate under a franchise agreement with Sherland Property OpCo Limited. Located on the main square in the heart of Middlesbrough town centre, the hotel will be close to local attractions such as Middlesbrough Town Hall, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art and Cleveland Centre shopping mall.

Philip Lassman, Director of Development UK and Ireland, IHG said: “Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing brands in the industry and the brand is certainly doing really well in Europe. The brand offers friendly efficient service, comfortable rooms and a free breakfast – everything a guest needs and nothing they don’t. It’s truly ideal for meeting the needs of corporate and leisure travellers typically taking short weekend breaks and business trips in this part of the world.”

Richard Farrar, Director of Leaf Hospitality, the company managing Holiday Inn Express Grimsby on behalf of Brayford Hotels commented: “Brayford Hotels is delighted to be adding Holiday Inn Express Grimsby to their portfolio. We were all determined to build a quality branded hotel the moment the site was acquired and we’ll do just that over the coming twelve months. We look forward to making the hotel a successful local business – bringing jobs, investment and a quality brand to Grimsby.”

Sunil Joginpally, Owner of Findlater House Ltd and Holiday Inn Express Dublin – City Centre commented: “We’re really excited to be bringing the Holiday Inn Express brand to Dublin’s vibrant town centre. We couldn’t have asked for a better location. We’re looking forward to welcoming our guests and offering them a comfortable stay at great value in Ireland’s capital.”

Mark Ashall, Director of Ashall Projects, the property development company undertaking the project, commented; “We are delighted to have secured the opportunity to refurbish this building and contribute to the regeneration of the centre of Middlesbrough by welcoming Holiday Inn Express to the town. Bringing this project to fruition has involved a series of challenges and we would like to record our appreciation of the work undertaken by the professional team and everyone else involved in order to overcome them.”

Daniel Fountain / 23.05.2014

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

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Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher atSPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.
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