Originally Posted by
ElmhurstNick
Crowne Plaza suffers from the same malady as Doubletree does for Hilton - it's the catch-all brand.
Personally, domestically, I would focus CP as the business, conference, and banquet market leader in urban areas of 200k-400k people. So that would be 75 of your Fort Waynes, Modestos, and Scrantons, as well as suburban business areas of larger cities (your Napervilles). Figure out what those markets need, position CP as the obvious choice in each of those cities. After that, adjust the rest of the domestic US brand to that requirements set, or move the lesser properties back to the HI flag.
I agree with this 100% on doing this for North America. It makes too much sense actually.
Re-energizing the existing properties is always good, but I just don't see this whole "seekers" market working in the US or Canada. First, if you are trying to appeal to the hip and unique crowd, you already have the Indigo chain. If you are going for the upscale and luxury segment, you obviously have the ICs.
The CP could become your upscale hotel in mid-market urban areas, and suburban areas and cater to the many conventions, weddings, and other conferences that happen in these areas (and there is a market for this). This also allows IHG to have an upscale hotel in these areas, without watering down the ICs by creating too many properties.