Holiday Inn Express recognised at Mena Awards

Holiday Inn Express Safa Park and Holiday Inn Express Dubai Internet City captured the Gold and Silver award under the category of 'Best Price Value Hotel'.

Armin Hies, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, Holiday Inn Express, Dubai and Mark Gillings, General Manager, Holiday Inn Express Dubai Internet City collected the awards on behalf of their hotels and Ishraq Holdings, the master franchisee for Holiday Inn Express in the GCC, excluding Saudi Arabia.

As one of the most prominent annual events held for the industry, the Mena Travel Awards celebrate the skills, creativity, ingenuity and triumph of the region's growing travel industry.

Hies said:

"We are extremely happy to receive these awards. Our teams have worked exceptionally hard to gives us a competitive edge by offering great value and modern convenience for the price conscious traveller."

Hies added, "Considering the Express brand is relatively new to the region, this is a phenomenal achievement for our properties. Having the strength of an internationally recognized brand behind us and being at the forefront of the global Holiday Inn family rebrand will only strengthen the position of Holiday Inn Express in the region."

The Holiday Inn Express brand was first launched in the region by Ishraq Gulf Real Estate, in July 2007, opening a 244 bedroom property in Dubai Internet City. The portfolio was then expanded in 2008 with a further two properties located at Safa Park and Jumeirah. Ishraq are set to open a fourth property this summer, a 381 room Holiday Inn Express located near the Dubai International Airport Terminal 3.

IHG and Ishraq recently signed Holiday Inn Express Manama, the brand's first venture in the Middle East outside Dubai. The 249-room property is expected to open end of 2010. IHG and Ishraq are committed to open 20 Holiday Inn Express properties in the region over the next five years.

In 2007, IHG announced a $1bn worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand family to create improved consistency and service levels, as well as a more contemporary brand image. IHG now have more than 700 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels operating under the new standards worldwide. Relaunched hotels have seen uplift in RevPAR and more importantly improved guest satisfaction.