Holiday Inn gets a new look

3 m ago By Lucy Blatter

If you’ve stayed at a Holiday Inn recently, you’ve probably noticed that the brand has undergone a bit of a facelift.

In an effort to give its locations a more modern feel, the hotel chain has refreshed its guest rooms with new bedding, new lighting in the welcome area and redesigned brand signage. So far, 1,378 hotels around the world have relaunched, 1,216 of them in the Americas (you can go to holidayinn.com to see if your next vacation destination has a relaunched property).

“There’s a very noticeable difference,” said Peter McNamee, general manager of the Holiday Inn Manhattan Sixth Avenue. “People are saying this is not what I’m used to from a Holiday Inn.”

McNamee said the most visible changes are in the rooms. One major improvement is that pillows come in two comfort levels, “soft” and “firm.”

McNamee credits the upgrades to helping Holiday Inn stay vibrant while other hotels suffer. “We actually opened right before the market started declining. It’s really helped us build a leg up. We’ve been able to capture a fair share, and that has a lot to do with the new image,” he said.