IT was business-as-usual at the Remington Hotel in Newport City in the morning back in May. Tourists, busy with their baggage and personal busyness, barely noticed the blue drape covering the small partition of the entrance wall where the metal engraving of the hotel name used to be.
The Remington Hotel has been part of the InterContinental Hotel Group’s (IHG) portfolio since December 2016. In 2017 the British multinational hospitality company made an announcement to rebrand the property as Holiday Inn Express (HIE). IHG officially introduced the HIE brand in Manila through the unveiling of the hotel logo at the building’s façade that May.
Along with the Marriott Hotel, Maxims Hotel (soon to be Ritz Carlton Hotel) and Belmont Hotel, HIE completes the roster of hotel brands currently operating in Resorts World Manila (RWM). Three more international properties are currently under construction within the complex: the Hilton Hotel, Sheraton Hotel and the Maxims Hotel expansion that will be rebranded as Hotel Okura Manila in 2019.
HIE operates under a limited-service concept setup, wherein standard amenities lean toward the convenient and practical which cater to business travelers, airport transit guests and short-term stays. This draws the distinction between the HIE chain and its parent brand, Holiday Inn.
“Although ours is an express hotel, we keep the standards very high and with this, we are attracting a brand-new market segment. We’re trying to attract higher-level groups and we are expecting more corporate business segments,” said HIE General Manager HT Cheah at the hotel’s opening ceremonies.
He added, “Some people want five-star accommodation so they might not come here, but there are some travelers, particularly young people, who do things by themselves. When you go to a coffee shop, you just go up to the counter and pay to get your coffee. You don’t want to be fussed over and you don’t want the waiter to check up on you every minute or so. When you sleep, do you really need eight pillows? You probably don’t, but some hotels provide that and they charge you for that—we don’t. We give you the basics: two good pillows, a good bed and a good linen.”
With the transition from the old Remington property to HIE, rooms will be equipped with the brand’s signature sleep solution, which features blackout curtains, comfortable bedding and a choice of firm or soft pillows. Room amenities include an en-suite bathroom, universal power sockets, in-room safe, flat screen television, seating area and a comfortable study area. Hotel facilities are geared toward convenience and features 24-hour dining, gym, meeting room and coin-operated laundry.
“IHG first came in about a year ago but the name was still under Remington. The transition process started with the changing of the software, including the reservation system. Second on the list was educating and retraining the staff on the IHG brand, especially the Holiday Inn Express brand and its service standards. The staff are continuously briefed on the new operating procedures,” said Cheah.
HIE already covers four floors as part of the ongoing renovation. The lobby’s renovation is set within the next six to eight months, with the entire renovation expected to be completed by 2019.
When asked about his insights on the stiff competition of hotel brands within the RWM complex, Cheah said, “I think each hotel has a certain specialty concept. Although these often overlap, the difference is really based on consumer preferences. As for the competition, I think we complement each other because we cater to a slightly different market. RWM actually markets the whole place and when big groups come in, they go to different hotels. Some come here—no fuss, no frills and express service.”
In terms of expected foot traffic, Cheah said that HIE has roughly 20 to 50 rooms availed by IHG Rewards Club and Business Club members. “That is a segment that never came before. When we first started a year ago there were only five a day, and now it’s regularly 20, 40 and 50. We expect to grow because in a typical IHG hotel, 30-40 percent of their profits are from members.”
IHG Hotels has the biggest membership crop in the world tallying up to approximately 100 million members. “We are well-known in countries around Southeast Asia and this is the first one in the Philippines. We are expecting that all these people who have been to a Holiday Inn Express in other parts of the world will know there’s an Express here in the country and that there’s a certain expectation to the quality we provide.”
In conclusion, Cheah said, “We’ve made these people’s travel experience smarter by giving them everything they need and more—where it matters most.”