L-r: Miguel Martins, Daniel Bowen, Rainer Werdel, Willemijn Geels, Mario Maxeiner and Florian Nanz.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a multi-development-agreement with Solutions4Hotels (S4H) for 10 eco-friendly Holiday Inn brand family hotels in Germany.

Holiday Inn Express Leipzig South and Holiday Inn Express Hamburg South are the first two developments within the deal, which will overall bring approximately 800 rooms into the country’s portfolio.

Electric future

The agreement is part of an extensive mixed-used development project in 10 locations which also includes the development of premium service stations and restaurants.

Each site will feature a futuristic service station including electric charging, a petrol station with sustainable fuel solutions, a hotel, and a high-quality F&B offer. The building sites are located along Germany’s main motorways, all in close proximity to large cities.

Sustainable exemplar

Holiday Inn Express Leipzig South will have a strong focus on sustainability. All rooms are planned as a wooden modular build, and the hotel will run on geothermal heating and feature solar panels for energy production which will be fed back into the hotel’s circuit system.

The hotel is planned with 79 rooms and is expected to open towards the end of 2023. It will feature a modern breakfast area with complimentary breakfast, 24-hour reception, free wifi, and a marketplace with snacks, drinks and other non-food items. Guests can also make use of a communal co-working space located within the building.

Holiday Inn Express Hamburg South was first signed in 2020, beginning IHG’s franchise partnership with S4H. The hotel will offer 80 rooms and guests can expect the same facilities and amenities – complimentary breakfast, free wifi, 24-hour reception, marketplace – as at its new sister hotel in Leipzig. Already under construction, the hotel is expected to open by summer 2023.

Journey to tomorrow

Willemijn Geels, VP development Europe at IHG, commented: “This is an exciting project for us, especially if we consider the sustainability aspect. At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we are committed to help shape the future of responsible travel together with those who stay, work and partner with us.

“This commitment as part of our 10-year responsible business plan, Journey to Tomorrow, also extends to the way we build new hotels, and the Holiday Inn Express Leipzig South is a great example of sustainable construction. We know that S4H and their development partner share this passion, and we look forward to working together on the many new projects that are yet to come.”

Long term success

Rainer Werdel, MD at Solutions4Hotels added: “We are delighted that we could win IHG Hotels & Resorts as our hotel partner for this project. The idea to expand our partnership to 10 locations in Germany was born following the signing of Holiday Inn Express Hamburg South. We believe that with IHG’s market expertise, international name recognition and a shared commitment to responsible travel, we can set ourselves up for long-term success.”

IHG has 91 hotels in Germany, of which 79 belong to the Holiday Inn brand family. The company has 25 hotels in the pipeline in Germany, including the 215-key Holiday Inn Kelsterbach; Kimpton Four Frankfurt, delivering 155 rooms in Q1 2024; and Hotel Indigo Erfurt, a 131-key conversion arriving in Q1 2025.

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