First Hotel Developed, Owned and Operated by Orange Lake Resorts
GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE (August 9, 2016) – Orange Lake Resorts, home to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations® brand, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announce the opening of the new-build 115-room Holiday Inn Express® hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The new hotel is a first for the 34-year-old vacation ownership company and is located next to the company’s Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort. Near the Great Smoky Mountains, this hotel will become a top choice for travelers to the Gatlinburg and Sevierville area.
Hotel guests will also enjoy use of a new indoor pool that includes waterslides, a heated pool and an interactive children's splash zone. The indoor pool area, constructed as part of Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort property’s new Signature Collection building, was designed to welcome Holiday Inn Express guests as well. Signature Collection villas feature luxury accommodations meticulously planned to deliver a superior vacation experience in an upscale environment.
“We are excited to open our company’s first Holiday Inn Express hotel next door to our popular Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee,” said Orange Lake Resorts CEO Don Harrill. “This is a new step for our company that continues to strengthen our roots and marketing alliance with IHG and the Holiday Inn brand family. Kemmons Wilson founded Holiday Inn Hotels in 1952 and opened his first timeshare property, Orange Lake Resort, 30 years later in Kissimmee, Florida.”
The Holiday Inn Express brand is the smart choice for travelers seeking a hotel that will help them rest and go while staying productive. The more than 2,400 Holiday Inn Express hotels worldwide offer a simple and efficient stay through the uncomplicated, yet personal service travelers expect from the brand.
The Holiday Inn Express Gatlinburg Downtown hotel features the new design solution, which was created to meet the evolving needs of the brand’s target guest. The design features an appealing combination of fresh, energetic and engaging elements, creating a distinctive style that is evident at every touch point of the Holiday Inn Express brand experience.
Features of the new design include:
- An open, pod-style front desk area that delivers a familiar and expedited check in and out experience;
- Flexible seating in the Great Room, including community tables with built in wired and wireless charging where guest can collaborate with colleagues or relax with friends and family;
- Refreshingly streamlined guestrooms that provide comforts and features that allow guests to be productive during their stay and have a great night's sleep, including noise-reducing headboard and television tower, multiple points of power conveniently located throughout the room and functional storage allowing guests to live out of their suitcase or unpack into a variety of storage options.
The complimentary Express Start™ breakfast bar offers a full range of breakfast items including a variety of well-known healthy options, such as Chobani® yogurt, whole wheat English muffins, Kellogg’s® breakfast cereals, Quaker® oatmeal flavors in cups and a toppings bar for yogurt, cereal and pancakes from the brand's one-touch pancake machine. Additionally, the breakfast bar also offers a wide variety of options including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, fruit, the brand's proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast™ coffee.
The hotel, located at 322 Historic Nature Trail, is owned and managed by Orange Lake Resorts. The Holiday Inn Express brand is part of IHG’s diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries and territories. The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands means that its hotels can meet guests’ needs whatever the occasion – whether an overnight getaway, a business trip, a family celebration or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-HOLIDAY or by going to IHG.com/HolidayInnExpress.
The Holiday Inn Express brand participates in IHG® Rewards Club. The industry’s first and largest hotel rewards program is free, and guests can enroll at IHGRewardsClub.com, by downloading the IHG® App, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG’s more than 5,000 hotels worldwide. The hotel also participates in IHG Green Engage® and offers unique programs to ensure sustainability.
