InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has made its debut in New Zealand with the launch of Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown opening its doors today (July 10).
IHG says the new-build hotel, opened in partnership with investment firm Pro-invest Group, welcomes guests in time for the start of the ski season, offering an “unrivalled location” on the corner of Stanley and Sydney Streets in Queenstown’s city centre.
The hotel features 227 contemporary guest rooms including spacious suites and rooms which provide views of Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountain range.
The hotel company says the new property’s architecture, designed by local architectural practice McAuliffe Stevens (MSRA), combines abstract elements representing “ice and erratic rock forms” to “pay homage to the hotel’s landscape history” and achieve a design that fits with the surrounding urban environment.
The hotel is near tourist attractions such as the Skyline gondola and the town’s dining precinct, says IHG. Queenstown is also the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Milford Sound.
Facilities at the new hotel include a fitness room, sauna, two flexible meeting rooms, self-serve laundry, dry room, onsite parking and a free business centre. IHG says perks such as complimentary Express Start breakfast, black-out blinds, “high-quality bedding” with a choice of pillows, and uncapped Wi-Fi will also be offered to guests.
The hotel company says it will also roll out its sustainability initiative at the new property, called A Greener Stay, which allows guests to take part in conserving the environment through opt out of housekeeping services, resulting in energy and water savings. As an added reward, guests who choose the opt-out receive up to 500 IHG Rewards Club points per night, IHG says.
The opening is the sixth Holiday Inn Express property since 2016 to be opened by Pro-invest Group, following the launch of Sydney Macquarie Park, Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle and Melbourne Southbank hotels in Australia.