Kew Green Hotels signs Holiday Inn franchise deal with InterContinental

Kew Green Hotels (KGH) has signed a franchise agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), which will see 11 Courtyard by Marriott sites rebranded as Holiday Inns.

The Kew Green Hotels will be converted to the IHG brand by May 2007, with a complete refurbishment of the 860 rooms within the portfolio.

The re-branded conference-led hotels will operate under a 20-year licence agreement.

KGH's managing director, Paul Johnson, said: "We are delighted to expand our relationship with IHG and to build on the three Express by Holiday Inn that we already operate. We will also open a new 150 bedroom Holiday Inn in Norwich this April."

KHG is currently developing a new-spec Courtyard by Marriott hotel at London's Gatwick Airport, due to open in late 2008.

A spokeswoman for the company said its decision to rebrand had been influenced by the fact that its existing full-service Courtyard's did not conform to the new specification recently introduced by Marriott.

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By Jessica Harvey

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