Less than six months after its official launch in the United States, IHG’s newest midscale brand, avid hotels, is now available for franchising in Mexico. The company has so far signed 75 franchise agreements total for executed hotels in the United States and Canada and expects to open the first avid hotel at the end of Q3 2018.
“On the heels of IHG’s successful introduction of Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites in Mexico, launching avid hotels reinforces IHG’s leadership position in this market,” says Jorge Apaez, chief operating officer for IHG in Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean. “The company currently has 140 hotels open in Mexico and an additional 31 in the pipeline, and with the launch of avid hotels, IHG is further demonstrating its commitment to continued growth in Mexico alongside our franchisees.”
Extensive research went into the development of avid hotels, and as a result, the brand has been designed for travelers who want a hotel stay that meets their expectations for the type of hospitality they value most–the basics done exceptionally well–at a price point expected to be about 10 to 15 percent less than IHG’s industry-leading Holiday Inn Express brand.
The new brand’s design and operating model was also developed in collaboration with an owner advisory board, ensuring that avid hotels are efficient to build, operate, and maintain. All avid hotels will be designed for new build construction on an average lot size of approximately 6,400 square meters and will be built with an environmentally friendly and efficient design. The first avid hotels property, located in Oklahoma, began construction just eight weeks after the brand was launched in the United States and is expected to open later this year ahead of original projections.
The franchise fee for the brand will be 5 percent of gross rooms revenue, and all avid hotels franchise agreements for Mexico executed before Sept. 30, 2018, will be eligible for a two-point franchise fee discount in year one and a one-point franchise fee discount in year two. This incentive can only be earned if the hotel opens by Sept. 30, 2020.
“Since IHG announced this new brand last fall, we have heard from many franchisees across Mexico who are excited to add an avid hotels property to their portfolio,” adds German Ongay, regional vice president of franchise sales and development for IHG in Mexico. “IHG has a trusted record of delivering what our guests want, and there is no doubt that the avid hotels brand will provide a superb guest experience at a great value. We are excited to introduce this new brand to the Mexican market.”
The brand’s modern exterior hotel design includes an open and airy retail-like entry, a canopy, and uses the stairwell as an eye-catching red architectural feature. Inside are open public and work areas and communal spaces for guests to relax, work, connect, or eat. The hotels will offer a complimentary grab-and-go breakfast and marketplace options for guests.
Guestrooms are constructed with sound reducing features and bathrooms have a fresh and bright design. Each guestroom will also offer a dedicated workspace and open storage, as well as in-room entertainment options that allow guests to cast content from their smart devices to in-room televisions. The avid properties will be equipped with IHG Connect WiFi that allows loyalty members to automatically connect in future visits. The hotels will also leverage IHG’s cloud-based reservation system.
