IHG® drives more growth for the Holiday Inn brand in the UK

150 150 Daniel Fountain
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InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) continues to build momentum in the UK with the world’s most recognised hotel brand – Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts. IHG’s owner partner, Dominvs Group, has this week begun construction on Holiday Inn® Manchester – City Centre. Dominvs Group has also entered into a franchise agreement with IHG for its first Holiday Inn hotel in Scotland, Holiday Inn Dumfries.Upon completion; Holiday Inn Manchester – City Centre will be a 306-room property located in the heart of Manchester, close to Manchester Piccadilly train station. Thanks to its prime location, the hotel is set to benefit from a healthy mix of leisure clientele attending local cultural and sporting events and corporate travellers frequenting the city centre.

The franchised hotel, due to open in 2016, will feature meeting and conference facilities as well as the brand’s signature Open Lobby. The Holiday Inn Open Lobby takes a unique approach to the in-hotel experience for guests, which has transformed the traditional hotel lobby format by combining the front desk, lobby, restaurant, bar, lounge area and business centre into one open, cohesive space, while refreshing the design to give it a more contemporary feel. The concept has been established by understanding how people use space at home in order to give guests the most flexibility, whether they’re looking to eat, relax, work, or have fun in one integrated space.

Meanwhile an existing hotel in Dumfries, Scotland, will be converted to the 71-room Holiday Inn® Dumfries and is due to open this spring. It will be the first Holiday Inn in Dumfries and its central location near Easterbrook Hall and Conference Centre coupled with its excellent conference facilities will help support rising demand from business travellers.

Robert Shepherd, Chief Development Officer Europe, IHG said: “The Holiday Inn brand has been around for more than 60 years but its commitment to innovation and comfort means it remains relevant for our owners and our guests. We’re delighted to be developing more hotels with Dominvs Group, and growing our presence in the UK still further.”

Preetpal Ahluwalia, Hospitality Director of Dominvs Group: “Only a matter of weeks ago we opened our Holiday Inn Darlington – North A1M Jct.59 and already, we have two additional hotel projects underway with IHG. The Holiday Inn brand was most certainly the right choice for us and will continue to be the right choice for our guests nationwide. We eagerly await the opening our first Holiday Inn hotel in Scotland.”

Daniel Fountain / 30.04.2014

Editor, Hotel Designs

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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.

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