Date: June 10, 2019
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS- SEQUIM WINS IHG® TORCHBEARER AWARD

(Las Vegas, Nevada) The Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Sequim, WA received the IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) 2018 Elite Torchbearer Award, the company’s most prestigious and recognizable award.
The Sequim Holiday Inn Express is one of 216 properties within the Americas chosen from the IHG system of more than 5,600 hotels for achieving the highest levels of excellence in all aspects of operation — from quality to customer satisfaction. Ranking this hotel in the Top 5% of the corporation.
“It is my pleasure to award the Holiday Inn Express Sequim as one of the foremost hotels in our industry,” said Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer – IHG, The Americas. “This hotel embodies the heart of our brand promise and continues our story to make our 12 brands well known and loved by guests around the world.”
General Manager, Namaste Cousins, accepted the award at the IHG Americas Owners and Operators Conference at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Cousins said, “I am incredibly proud of my team and their dedication to providing amazing guest services and hospitality. We don’t just provide a room; we provide an experience and a home away from home. Winning this elite status was a very difficult feat for our 9-year-old property but because of my employee’s love for our guests, we did it!”
Said Bret Wirta, CEO of Wirta Hospitality Worldwide and Owner of The Holiday Inn Express, Sequim, “Only the top 5% of our sister hotels receive this award. Namaste is the youngest General Manager here in Las Vegas accepting this award. She accomplished this in the two short years since she was promoted. My wife Trisha and I congratulate Namaste and her team.”
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organization with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, voco™, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn Club Vacations®, Holiday Inn Resort®, avid™ hotels, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.