Joining the race to expand across Asia, InterContinental Hotels Group and Samhi teamed up to bring a 14-hotel portfolio in India under the Holiday Inn Express brand. Taking over about 2,000 guestrooms across 10 existing hotels and four under construction, IHG will expand its presence in the country by 34 percent.

The two hotel groups have planned to temporarily shut down all 10 existing hotels to completely renovate and convert them into Holiday Inn Express properties. The hotels stretch across 11 major cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. Now, the Holiday Inn Express presence has surged to 90 percent across tier 1 cities. 
Once IHG added these properties to its portfolio, the group boosted the total number of Holiday Inn hotels in India to 60 operational and in development across the country. In India, the group has 30 operating hotels across four brands, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Another 33 properties are slated for development in the country.

InterContinental Hotels recently expanded the Holiday Inn Express brand in Thailand as well with the signing of the Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Ratchada with Ratchada Honda Automobile. Opening in 2020, the new 220-guestroom Holiday Inn Express will be developed in the center of Bangkok near Huai Khwang MRT station, JJ Green Market, Kamphaeng Phet MRT station and the city's sub-central business district offices and retail developments along the Huai Khwang and Sutthisan intersection.

Prior to this opening, Adelaide in South Australia received its first Holiday Inn Express-branded hotel at the end of August 2017. Also a CBD hotel, the nine-level development will have 245 guestrooms. The new property also marked the brand's third Australian opening in partnership with Pro-invest Group after their hotel launches at its Sydney and Brisbane developments.