Nov. 21–The feel-good story of legendary Memphis entrepreneur Kemmons Wilson is the backdrop for a new multimillion dollar campaign by Holiday Inn to trumpet a $1 billion investment in the brand.
Holiday Inn officials were at the Wilson family-owned Holiday Inn Memphis-Wolfchase Galleria hotel recently to show off the campaign.
Founded by Kemnmons Wilson, Holiday Inn was a landmark Memphis business, renowned in the 1960s like FedEx Corp. is today. But a British brewer bought the hotel chain nearly a quarter century ago and moved the offices to Atlanta.
The Wilson family, however, has remained at the center of the hospitality industry, owning individual hotels. Now the owner of the chain is leaning on Wilson’s success. The online version of the “Change Your View” campaign touts “The Holiday Inn Story” in which Wilson revolutionized the lodging industry with a chain of roadside, family-friendly motels. The first opened on Summer Avenue on the then-eastern fringe of Memphis in 1952.
Wilson’s sons Kemmons Wilson Jr. and Bob Wilson and grandson McLean Wilson participated in the Wolfchase hotel event.
Holiday Inn last summer led the mid-scale full-service hotel chain category of the J.D. Power 2013 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study.
The brand relaunch, completed in 2010, focused on guest arrival and welcome experiences, room and bath comfort and a redesigned logo and signs. Other Greater Memphis hotels that benefited from the investment included Holiday Inns at University of Memphis and in West Memphis and Southaven and Holiday Inn Express locations Medical Center, Airport, Southaven, Germantown, Millington, Southwind and Olive Branch.
Holiday Inn owner InterContinental Hotels Group PLC said the company operates 4,653 hotels.
