Holiday Inn Hotels
With your tour guide,
Anne P. Mitchell
| Summary: Holiday Inn hotels belong to a chain that was named after the classic Bing Crosby movie of the same name. The first in the chain opened in 1952, and since then Holiday Inn hotels have become familiar establishments around the world. |
Holiday Inn hotels belong to a chain that was named after the classic Bing Crosby movie of the same name. The first in the chain opened in 1952, and since then Holiday Inn hotels have become familiar establishments around the world.
The founder of Holiday Inn hotels was Kemmons Wilson, who had a frustrating experience trying to find suitable hotels for his family on a road trip. He was a builder himself, and became disappointed in the lack of consistency in quality and service at the hotels he stayed in. He decided to do something about it.
The first Holiday Inn opened in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952. Wilson brought in a business partner named Wallace Johnson, and the chain quickly expanded across the United States. The mission of these two men was to provide a standard of service and quality chain wide that travelers could rely on no matter what state they were visiting or driving through. All of the hotels were easily visible and readily accessible from the road or highway.
In just seven short years, there were 100 Holiday Inn hotels in the U.S.; by 1968 they opened their 1000th property. They expanded their market to include the rest of North America, Europe, and Asia, and soon had thriving hotel properties worldwide. Holiday Inn hotels set the standard not only for themselves, but for their competitors.
In 1969, Holiday Inn sponsored a game show called “He Said, She Said”. In 1974, Kemmons Wilson was featured on the cover of Time Magazine. It was around this time that new features and amenities were being introduced to many of the Holiday Inn properties, including indoor swimming pools and restaurants.
Holiday Inn eventually expanded into other markets, such as nursing homes, country clubs, and even running the Delta Queen, a national landmark steamboat. The chain enjoyed a lengthy run of great success, but the 1980’s brought more competition and a change in market share. Wilson retired from the company in 1979.
The international branches of Holiday Inn hotels were purchased by Inter Continental, and several years later Wilson also sold his remaining shares in the company. Today Holiday Inn hotels are just one of a number of brands owned and operated by Inter Continental.
Today Holiday Inn hotels are still quite popular, and maintain their standard in the moderate to budget hotel market. There are many plans in the works to update the brand and keep it competitive in today’s tourism industry.
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