First avid™ hotel in Canada breaks ground

New property owned by PI Cap located in vibrant Vaughan, Ontario

News provided by

Oct 13, 2020, 11:51 ET

ATLANTA, Oct. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IHG^® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, announced today the latest in international expansion for its avid™ hotels brand – the groundbreaking for the first Canadian property located in Vaughan, a suburb of Toronto. The property is owned by PI Cap and is part of a robust pipeline of new avid hotels currently under development across Canada. There are more than a dozen avid hotels now open and welcoming guests, including the first property in Mexico, and 90 properties under construction or with plans approved for construction across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

InterContinental Hotel Group and PI Cap have broken ground on the first avid™ hotel in Canada. Company leaders and local dignitaries marked the occasion at a special event on October 2. Pictured Left to Right: Sonia Sidhu, Member of Parliament, Government of Canada; Harpreet Rana, Owner PI Cap; Tony Carrella, Councillor, City of Vaughan; Sherjang Singh Rana, Owner PI Cap; Jonathan Lund, Regional Vice President InterContinental Hotels Group, Canada; Aman Ahuja, Owner-Representative PI Cap

Expected to open by spring 2022, the new avid hotel in Vaughan will offer 119 rooms across six floors. Located in a high traffic, high visibility area, the hotel is just minutes from Toronto Pearson International Airport, convenient to many area shopping centers and restaurants, with easy access to neighboring Brampton, Etobicoke and Bolton. Vaughan has long been recognized as one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada and is home to Canada's Wonderland theme park which draws millions of visitors to the area each year.

Karen Gilbride, Vice President, avid hotels and Atwell Suites™, IHG, commented: "On behalf of IHG and our thousands of colleagues, I congratulate PI Cap on this milestone for the avid hotels brand in Canada. There are great things on the horizon as travelers continue to visit newly opened hotels and discover the avid hotels' experience, which is all about the basics done exceptionally well and delivered at a fair price. We believe this mainstream brand will continue to resonate strongly with hotel owners due to the lower cost to build, efficient staffing model and overall operating economics in the current environment and for years to come."

Sherjang Singh Rana, co-owner PI Cap, commented: "Bringing the avid hotels brand to the growing city of Vaughan is a tremendous achievement for our company."

Sandeep Ahuja, co-owner PI Cap, commented: "While we have deep roots throughout Canada and are known and trusted for our expertise in personal and business insurance, this property marks our first venture into the hospitality industry, and we are excited to partner with IHG to introduce the avid brand to Canadian consumers. We look forward to welcoming our first guests at this new property soon."

Launched in 2017, avid hotels is one of IHG's newest brands in the midscale, mainstream category and has grown rapidly with more than 200 new hotel properties signed since launch. The brand is purpose-built and offers the type of hospitality its guests value most – the essentials that make a difference and experiences that feel just right, every time. Guests at avid hotels properties can expect a superior stay, including a great night's sleep in a clean room, a grab-and-go, complimentary breakfast, and seamless technology.

IHG understands that cleanliness is top of mind for today's traveler. The company's longstanding commitment to rigorous cleaning procedures includes the IHG Way of Clean program developed with Ecolab and Diversey, both world leaders in hygiene and cleaning technologies. The program, launched in 2015, features deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants as well as new COVID-19 protocols and best practices, developed with experts from the Cleveland Clinic. As a part of the IHG family of brands, avid hotels properties offer guests additional peace of mind with the IHG Clean Promise – guests can be reassured that their room will meet IHG's high standards of cleanliness. If not, the hotel will make it right. Learn more about IHG's new cleanliness initiatives and guest programs here.

To learn more about the brand and book with avid hotels for an upcoming trip, click here.

About IHG^®

IHG^® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental^® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton^® Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo^®, EVEN^® Hotels, HUALUXE^® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza^® Hotels & Resorts, voco™, Holiday Inn^® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express^®, Holiday Inn Club Vacations^®, avid™ hotels, Staybridge Suites^®, Atwell Suites™, and Candlewood Suites^®.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,900 hotels and approximately 883,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with over 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG^® Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 400,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: https://www.ihgplc.com/en/news-and-media and follow us on social media at: https://twitter.com/ihgcorporate, www.facebook.com/ihgcorporate and www.linkedin.com/company/intercontinental-hotels-group.

SOURCE IHG Hotels & Resorts