Holiday Inn Express
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn IHG Hotels & Resorts select-service hotel brand focused on practical, mid-priced accommodation for business, short-stay, and value-conscious travelers.
Last updated August 21, 2026
Overview
Holiday Inn Express is an American-origin hotel brand operated within the IHG Hotels & Resorts family. It was created as an “express” lodging concept aimed at the upper-economy segment: guests receive dependable rooms and selected practical amenities without the breadth of services associated with a traditional full-service hotel. The concept is particularly suited to business travelers, motorists, short stays, and customers who prioritize predictable accommodation and included breakfast over extensive food-and-beverage, leisure, or meeting facilities. The brand was established under the ownership of Bass in 1990. Its first three hotels opened that year in Nashville, Tennessee; Abilene, Texas; and Poughkeepsie, New York. Each was converted from an existing Holiday Inn property, allowing the new concept to enter the market without relying exclusively on newly built hotels. Bass initially envisaged rapid expansion, with plans calling for approximately 250 locations by 1995. The brand subsequently became part of the hotel portfolio that developed into IHG Hotels & Resorts. Holiday Inn Express properties generally use standardized architectural and operating models. In North America, typical hotels have around 60 to 80 rooms, often combining standard rooms with suites. The format has historically emphasized a limited-service package, including accommodation, a continental breakfast, and an exercise room, while omitting or limiting services such as room service, full restaurants, bars, conference facilities, swimming pools, and extensive recreational infrastructure. The exact offer varies by property and market. Newer or renovated hotels may provide broader facilities, including restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, fitness centers, and swimming pools, reducing the practical difference between some Express properties and other midscale hotels. Location is an important part of the brand proposition. Holiday Inn Express hotels are commonly situated in suburban areas, near major roads, airports, commercial districts, and other locations convenient for travelers making short or functional trips. By contrast, the full Holiday Inn brand has more often been associated with urban locations, tourist destinations, and larger full-service properties. The Express format therefore combines the recognition of the Holiday Inn name with a more compact operating model and a lower-service positioning. The brand expanded outside North America during the 1990s. Its first European property opened in Scotland in 1996. In Europe, properties were initially marketed under the name “Express by Holiday Inn.” IHG announced a rebranding in 2006 that phased out this regional naming variation and aligned the business more closely with the Holiday Inn Express identity used elsewhere. Marketing has been central to Holiday Inn Express’s public profile. Beginning in 1998, a long-running advertising platform portrayed ordinary people performing extraordinary tasks and then attributing their apparent expertise to having stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. The humorous campaign became widely recognized in popular culture and continued in its original form until 2009. It was revived in 2014 with advertisements featuring Jim Gaffigan, followed by advertisements featuring Rob Riggle in 2015. These campaigns reinforced the brand’s association with confidence, competence, and a memorable value proposition rather than with luxury. By September 2019, the chain had 2,826 hotels and more than 292,000 rooms worldwide, according to the cited reference material. Holiday Inn Express remains an active international IHG brand, with its identity centered on standardized, accessible, limited- or select-service lodging and a broad global distribution.
History
Holiday Inn Express began in 1990 under Bass as a simplified lodging concept connected to the established Holiday Inn name. The idea was to serve an upper-economy market between basic roadside accommodation and more expensive full-service hotels. Rather than reproduce the entire Holiday Inn service package, the new format concentrated on clean, standardized rooms and a limited set of useful amenities at a reasonable price. The first three properties opened during 1990 in Nashville, Tennessee; Abilene, Texas; and Poughkeepsie, New York. All three were conversions of existing Holiday Inn hotels. This approach gave Bass a rapid way to test and deploy the format while using an existing brand relationship. The company’s early development plans anticipated approximately 250 locations by 1995, reflecting an intention to make the concept a significant part of the wider Holiday Inn portfolio. The operating model typically relied on standardized prototypes and relatively compact properties. Many North American hotels contained approximately 60 to 80 rooms, with both conventional rooms and suites. The original model offered accommodation, a continental breakfast, and an exercise room while generally excluding room service, full restaurant and bar operations, swimming pools, health clubs, and meeting facilities. This reduced the complexity and cost of operating each property and supported locations near highways, suburbs, and commercial travel corridors. The brand’s actual offer evolved as the network expanded. Newer or renovated locations sometimes added facilities associated with broader midscale hospitality, such as restaurants, bars, conference rooms, full fitness centers, and swimming pools. As a result, Holiday Inn Express properties have not all remained identical in amenities, although their distinction from traditional Holiday Inn hotels has continued to rest on service scope, property format, and location strategy. International expansion began in the 1990s. The first European Holiday Inn Express opened in Scotland in 1996. European hotels initially used the name Express by Holiday Inn, but a rebranding announced in 2006 began eliminating that regional variation. The move helped create a more consistent international identity around Holiday Inn Express. Advertising significantly increased the brand’s visibility. In 1998, the company introduced commercials in which ordinary people performed remarkable feats and then jokingly attributed their abilities to staying at a Holiday Inn Express. The campaign’s humor made the brand recognizable beyond the hotel sector and generated references in comedy and political commentary. The original campaign continued through 2009. It returned in 2014 with Jim Gaffigan and was followed by Rob Riggle executions in 2015. The brand’s later scale reflected substantial international growth. The cited reference records 2,826 Holiday Inn Express hotels with more than 292,000 rooms as of September 2019. Today the brand is part of IHG Hotels & Resorts and continues to operate as a global select-service hotel chain. Its core proposition remains practical accommodation, predictable standards, and convenient amenities for business travelers, motorists, and short-stay guests.
- 2019
Global network reaches reported 2,826 hotels
[1]The cited reference reported 2,826 hotels and more than 292,000 rooms worldwide as of September 2019.
- 2014
Advertising platform revived
[1]New campaign executions featuring Jim Gaffigan revived the brand’s earlier advertising idea.
- 2006
European naming alignment announced
[1]The company began phasing out the “Express by Holiday Inn” name in Europe in favor of Holiday Inn Express.
- 1998
Signature advertising campaign begins
[1]Holiday Inn Express introduced its long-running humorous campaign built around guests claiming unexpected expertise after staying at the brand.
- 1996
First European location
[1]The brand opened its first European hotel in Scotland.
- 1990
Brand founded and first hotels opened
[1]Holiday Inn Express was established under Bass, and its first three properties opened in Nashville, Abilene, and Poughkeepsie.
Products and positioning
Upper-economy to mid-priced select-service hotel brand offering practical, standardized accommodation and value-oriented amenities.
Hotel accommodation · 1990
Holiday Inn Express hotel rooms
The core offering is standardized overnight accommodation in practical, mid-priced properties. Hotels commonly provide standard guest rooms and, particularly in North America, suites. The format is designed for business trips, roadside stops, short leisure stays, and other journeys where guests value predictable rooms and convenient locations over extensive resort or full-service facilities.
Hotel accommodation
Holiday Inn Express suites
Suites form part of the room mix at many Holiday Inn Express properties, especially in North America. They extend the basic accommodation proposition for guests needing additional space during business travel, family travel, or longer short-term stays. Availability, layout, and amenities vary by individual hotel.
Guest amenity · 1990
Included breakfast
Breakfast is a defining element of the limited-service concept. The original model included a continental breakfast, giving guests a practical meal without requiring a full restaurant operation. The precise menu and service format can differ by market and property, but the offer supports the brand’s value-oriented positioning.
Hotel amenities · 1990
Fitness and selected property amenities
Exercise facilities were part of the original concept, while later properties and renovations may include expanded fitness centers, swimming pools, restaurants, bars, and meeting rooms. These amenities are not uniform across the network and depend on the hotel’s design, market, and age.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Rob Riggle advertising executions
United States
New advertisements featuring Rob Riggle continued the brand’s association between staying at Holiday Inn Express and feeling unusually capable or knowledgeable.
Outcome. The campaign platform continued with a new comedian and spokesperson.
- 2014Revival of the signature competence campaign
United States
Holiday Inn Express revived its established humorous advertising format with new commercials featuring comedian Jim Gaffigan.
Outcome. The revival extended a recognizable brand platform to a new advertising period.
- 1998Stay Smart
United States · International markets
The campaign depicted ordinary people handling extraordinary situations and humorously attributed their apparent abilities to a recent Holiday Inn Express stay. Its later tag line included “Stay smart, Stay at Holiday Inn Express.” The concept was widely recognized and continued in its original form until 2009.
Outcome. The campaign received positive attention, became part of popular culture, and strengthened brand recognition.
Brand decisions
2014
Revive the established advertising platformStrategyBackground
The original competence-themed Holiday Inn Express advertising campaign had ended in 2009 after more than a decade of use.
Action taken
The brand returned to the platform with new advertisements featuring Jim Gaffigan.
Aftermath
The campaign concept continued into later executions, including advertisements featuring Rob Riggle in 2015.
2006
Align European properties under Holiday Inn ExpressStrategyBackground
European properties had been marketed as Express by Holiday Inn, creating a regional naming variation within the wider brand.
Action taken
The company announced a rebranding that began phasing out the European variation and used Holiday Inn Express as the common identity.
Aftermath
The change supported a more consistent international brand architecture.
Recent events
- 2019
Holiday Inn Express reports more than 2,800 hotels worldwide[1]
Other
As of September 2019, the chain was reported to have 2,826 hotels and more than 292,000 rooms around the world.
- 2015
Holiday Inn Express produces advertisements featuring Rob Riggle[1]
Campaign
A subsequent set of advertisements used comedian Rob Riggle within the brand’s established competence-themed campaign platform.
- 2014
Holiday Inn Express advertising platform returns with Jim Gaffigan[1]
Campaign
The brand revived its well-known humorous advertising concept with new commercials featuring comedian Jim Gaffigan.
- 2006
Express by Holiday Inn naming begins to be phased out[1]
Other
IHG announced a rebranding intended to replace the European “Express by Holiday Inn” variation with the Holiday Inn Express name.
- 1996
Holiday Inn Express opens first European property[1]
Other
The brand entered Europe with its first European location in Scotland.
- 1990
Holiday Inn Express brand launches first three hotels[1]
Other
The first three Holiday Inn Express properties opened in Nashville, Abilene, and Poughkeepsie after conversions from existing Holiday Inn hotels.
Sources1 sources
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