In an interview with Arjun Gill, Editor, Today’s Traveller, Vaibhav Jain, Regional General Manager, Holiday Inn Express (an IHG Hotel) SWA, shares how he maintains his brand’s commitment to effectively balance services to appeal to both B2B and B2C clientele
TT Bureau: How does Holiday Inn Express balance its services to effectively appeal to both B2B and B2C clientele?
Vaibhav Jain: As a brand’s commitment, it’s in our DNA to effectively standardise and balance the services to appeal to both B2B and B2C clientele.
For us, service means delivering great amenities to smart travellers. By consistently offering a comfortable and efficient experience for guests, Holiday Inn Express hotels make guests’ missions easy no matter where they are in the world.
For travellers on the go, Holiday Inn Express provides more where it matters most – a great night’s sleep with our Express Recharge program, focused service from genuine people, and the Express Start Breakfast included in the rate, all designed to help guests feel more than ready for their day.
TT Bureau: What key strategies do you follow to maintain this balance?
Vaibhav Jain: Our key strategies encompass a comprehensive approach aimed at delivering exceptional service, meeting the specific needs of our diverse clientele, and ensuring a strong value proposition.
These strategies are designed to maintain consistent quality across all locations, provide tailored amenities that cater to business and leisure travellers alike, and uphold a commitment to affordability without compromising comfort or reliability. By focusing on these pillars, we strive to create memorable and seamless experiences for all our guests while reinforcing our brand’s reputation in the competitive hospitality market.
Standardized Service Quality: Holiday Inn Express, throughout the region, maintains a consistent service standard across all its locations, ensuring a reliable and predictable experience for all travellers, more so for business and transient travellers. The consistency and no-surprise stays appeal to our B2B clients who value reliability for their employees, as well as to B2C clients who seek comfort and consistency during their stays.
Business-Friendly Amenities: Understanding the needs of business travellers, Holiday Inn Express offers amenities such as free high-speed internet, complimentary breakfast, comfortable workspaces, and meeting rooms. These amenities cater directly to the needs of B2B clients, facilitating business meetings and productivity.
Value for Money: Our brand positions itself as value-oriented, offering competitive pricing and additional perks like the aforementioned breakfast and internet. This value proposition is attractive to both B2B clients looking to manage travel costs and B2C clients seeking affordability without sacrificing comfort.
As the fastest-growing brand for IHG Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express aims to enable real, human connections for our guests by providing a simple, smart travel experience. By effectively balancing these strategies, Holiday Inn Express positions itself as a versatile brand capable of meeting diverse needs, thereby maximizing its appeal across various customer segments.
TT Bureau: What measures does Holiday Inn Express take to maintain value-for-money offerings while ensuring high-quality hospitality services?
Vaibhav Jain: Holiday Inn Express’s central and foremost deliverable as a hotel is to maintain value-for-money offerings in all of the assets in the country. Holiday Inn Express is committed to delivering more where it matters most through a consistent experience, thoughtful design, and value-rich essentials. We maintain it by offering high-quality hospitality services through a strategic approach focused on efficiency and consistency.
The heart and soul of the hotel, the Express Café & Bar, is an integrated lobby and food and beverage experience, providing café inspired meals “around the clock,” no matter the occasion. Whether it’s to eat, linger, work, or relax, there is always something for our guests.
Our guests experience a comfortable and peaceful ‘overnight recharge’ with every stay. Between the plush duvets, quality linens, a choice of firm or soft pillows, and blackout shades – our guests wake up ready to tackle the day.
We offer all the essentials that make our guests’ stay away from home a pleasure – including free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee facilities, and multiple charging points to keep them connected (if they want).
We stay ready for our guests by being attentive and observant – anticipating guest needs and taking action to ensure their needs are met. For instance, we provide a free hot, fresh breakfast with every stay, to Gear up our guests with the best, in the morning with hot and cold breakfast options.
Our team ensures to implementation of an efficient service model that prioritizes essentials like comfortable rooms, cleanliness, a great shower and sleep experience, avoiding unnecessary frills and elevating the experience of essentials during a stay. Standardised offerings across locations, such as complimentary breakfast, Wi-Fi, business centres, and fitness centres, ensure guests can rely on consistent quality of service.
Due to the merit of the scale of Holiday Inn Express in the country, operational efficiency is further achieved through optimized supply chain management and energy use, reducing costs without compromising quality. All our Holiday Inn Express assets are located near business districts, commercial buildings, shopping malls, highways, and airports, and thus it adds convenience for the guests. Regular staff training maintains high service standards, while actively seeking and integrating customer feedback allows for continuous improvement.
The IHG One Rewards loyalty program encourages repeat stays, offering value through points and perks. Targeted marketing attracts budget-conscious travellers, ensuring a steady stream of guests. Holiday Inn Express delivers a consistent, high-quality guest experience at competitive prices to its guests without compromising on the necessities.
TT Bureau: Given the smaller room size ideal for single occupancy, how does Holiday Inn Express cater to the needs of solo travellers and business professionals?
Vaibhav Jain: Holiday Inn Express is a preferred hotel for business travellers and solo travellers, and we offer a range of smart and efficient amenities and services tailored to their requirements. The efficient room design is not only compact & functional but also has not compromised on sleep by providing high-quality and comfortable bedding which is crucial for both, leisure and business travellers alike.
Complimentary breakfast is extended to all the guests checking in at Holiday Inn Express and an option of Grab & Go is also provided for those who have an early start with a packed schedule. Holiday Inn Express as a standard practice provides, High-speed internet access throughout the hotel, making it easy for guests to stay connected and work remotely, in-room work desks with good lighting and ergonomic chairs provide a comfortable workspace.
Apart from this, we also provide Gym access to all the in-house guests, and a self-service laundromat is also complimentary for all. Holiday Inn Express is also a preferred choice, because of the location and accessibility to the business districts, airports & major transportation hubs with on-site complimentary parking adds to the convenience of the business travellers.
Read More: Today’s Traveller Interviews
