100th Holiday Inn ‘Open Lobby’ opens in Europe

Leading hotel company IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has announced a milestone for its Holiday Inn brand, with the opening of the 100th ‘Open Lobby’ as part of roll-out of the Europe wide concept.

Since launching Open Lobby in 2012, Holiday Inn continues to undergo its biggest brand transformation in 20 years, showcasing IHG’s commitment to reinvigorating the iconic brand.

Holiday Inn is one of the most recognised hotel brands across the globe and one of the biggest brands within IHG’s evolving portfolio, offering warm and friendly service since 1952. IHG unveiled Open Lobby, a concept to transform the traditional hotel lobby format by combining all public spaces – from the reception area to the restaurant, bar and lounge – into one open, cohesive space, while refreshing the design to give it a contemporary feel.

The Open Lobby concept is based on understanding how people use space at home to give guests the most flexibility, whether they’re looking to eat, relax, work, or have fun in one space.

Staff at Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre celebrate the 100th Open Lobby milestone

Open Lobby is part of IHG’s initiative to strengthen the Holiday Inn brand by providing guests with a consistent experience throughout all Holiday Inn properties within Europe. The concept has received highly positive guest feedback as well as driving financial benefits for IHG’s Owners, including a strong uplift in Food & Beverage revenue.

The opening of the 100th Open Lobby at Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre marks a milestone in the roll-out of concept across Europe. There has been an increase in the momentum behind Open Lobby throughout 2018 into 2019 with 80 per cent of Holiday Inn hotels in Europe now committed to refurbishment.

Karin Sheppard, managing director, Europe, said: “The opening of the 100th Open Lobby is an amazing achievement. Open Lobby was created to ensure that we drive much more consistency in the guest experience and build loyalty across Europe. It is exciting to hear how much guests love the new space and see the quantifiable results for our owners.”

Rajesh Rana, director, Andras House Hotels, added: “We’ve had so much support from IHG during the design and renovation of the Open Lobby and since we’ve finished it, positive guest feedback has just gone through the roof. They absolutely love it. It’s really great to see the guests moving through all the different spaces and zones the way they were designed to be used.”

IHG has 283 Holiday Inn hotels (over 46,000 rooms) open across Europe – and 39 hotels in the pipeline.

The Open Lobby at Holiday Inn Belfast