IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announced the relaunch of its 2,500th hotel, the Holiday Inn Poza Rica Aeropuerto, in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.

Holiday Inn is undergoing the biggest relaunch in the hospitality industry with a $1 billion investment across more than 3,300 hotels and 430,000 rooms worldwide. First announced in October 2007, the relaunch is designed to improve quality and drive consistency at all Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels around the world.

“We have a lot to celebrate this month with two important milestones in our brand journey.  First, we have now relaunched 2,500 hotels or more than 75 percent of the total estate for the Holiday Inn brand family around the world.  At the same time, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary for Holiday Inn in Mexico”, said Kevin Kowalski, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands. “In Mexico, along with 70 other countries around the world, we will soon have a completely refreshed estate with every hotel delivering a consistently great stay.”

Through founder Kemmons Wilson’s innovative vision, the Holiday Inn brand became the first to offer franchising opportunities in Mexico. This caused a sensation among investors to build Holiday Inn hotels since they were so widely recognised by both domestic and international tourists. The first Holiday Inn in Mexico opened in 1970 in Acapulco and set the stage for all hotels to come in this industrious country. From its bold architectural design, to the gardens, pool and bustling restaurant scene, Holiday Inn became the place to be no matter what city you were in. Today, 70 percent of the Holiday Inn estate in Mexico has been relaunched continuing that tradition, with modern upgrades and amenities, improved guest satisfaction and RevPAR outperformance. And the newly built Holiday Inn Poza Rica Aeropuerto is expected to bring the same success to the Mexican hotel landscape as well.

In addition to the 3,300 open hotels globally, which includes 86 in Mexico, there are 865 hotels in the Holiday Inn global development pipeline. New openings combined with the removal of lower quality hotels will mean that 40 percent of the Holiday Inn estate will be less than 10 years old by the end of 2010, when the global relaunch will be completed.

The relaunch focuses on the things research shows matter most to guests – a modern, contemporary hotel with efficient, friendly service and a great night’s sleep.