IHG introduces Avid as new mid-scale brand
Avid has been announced as the name of the new mid-scale brand being launched in the US by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
The new concept will focus on value offering "the basics done exceptionally well". Its price point will be about $10-15 (£7.40-11.10) less than IHG's Holiday Inn Express brand.
More than 150 owners are said to have already expressed interest in the brand which will be operated under franchise agreements, with the first hotels expected to open in early 2019.
A typical new-build hotel will have 95 to 100 bedrooms and sit on a plot of one and a half acres and 95 to 100 bedrooms.
Key features of Avid will include:
• An airy retail-like entry with stairs as "an eye catching red architectural feature".
• Communal space in the lobby for guests to relax, work, connect or eat.
• Complimentary breakfast and marketplace food options for guests on the go.
• IHG Connect fast Wi-Fi.
• Bedrooms offering open storage space and work stations.
Keith Barr, chief executive, IHG, 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."
There are no immediate plans to introduce Avid to the UK.
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