Intercontinental Hotels Group has unveiled the name for its new midscale brand, which will be known as Avid Hotels and will operate under a franchise model.
The group originally announced plans for the new brand in June (then going under the working title of Project Horizon), with plans “to target more than 14 million guests in a vastly under served segment of the US midscale market, estimated to be worth $20 billion in annual industry revenues”.
IHG says that over 150 owners have expressed an interest in the Avid brand, with the first properties slated to open in early 2019.
The brand’s values are “Fresh, Frank and Fair”, and IHG says that Avid “is designed for travellers who want a hotel stay that finally meets their expectations for the type of hospitality they value most – the basics done exceptionally well – at a price point expected to be about $10-15 less than IHG’s industry-leading Holiday Inn Express brand”.
Properties will have a minimum of three floors, with the prototype design having 95-100 rooms.
Alongside the Avid Hotels name, IHG has unveiled renderings of the brand’s exterior and public spaces, which it says will feature:
- an open and airy retail-like entry, canopy and eye catching red stairwell
- vibrant, open public and work areas and inviting communal spaces that allow guests to relax, work, connect or eat
- focused, high-quality, complimentary breakfast and marketplace options made for guests on the go
- IHG Connect wifi throughout the property, offering “the fastest speed in the industry and the ability for loyalty members to be automatically connected for all future visits”
Guest rooms will include sound-reducing features, a workspace, open storage units, and “innovative in-room entertainment options that allow guests to cast content from their smart devices to in-room televisions”.
The Avid Hotels logo has also been unveiled, which the group says illustrates “the brand’s confident and modern design”, with red and aqua colours and a signature tick “which acts as a stamp of confidence that Avid Hotels will deliver an unrivaled experience”.
Commenting on the news IHG’s CEO Keith Barr said:
“We built our Holiday Inn Express brand into a hugely successful, leading midscale brand. Now, with the introduction of Avid Hotels, we’re set to add another one and extend IHG’s leadership position in this segment.
“With 14 million potential customers looking for the type of hospitality Avid Hotels will offer, this new hotel brand represents a significant growth opportunity for IHG and our family of owners.”
