Staying Smart(er)

You have to love the way companies reinvent themselves.

We stayed at a local Holiday Inn Express overnight for our anniversary back in May.



Their new motto is: Fresh. Simple. Smart.

Pretty catchy, huh?

They want you to "Stay Smart." (It's even trademarked.)

And I have to say we were impressed by all the changes/upgrades they've made in their hotels.

But you can't stretch a leopard's spots into stripes and call it a tiger. The basic structure of the hotel was exactly the same as always. The smell was the same -- that stale smoke/cleaning solution odor many such places have. The semi-sterile environment was the same.

I think they could use softer lighting against warm-colored walls. Put plug-ins in the rooms and a filter air freshener in the circulation system. I'm just saying...

Still...it was nicer than before.

And I guess we did "stay smart" since it was FREE. (My hubby used to do an enormous amount of traveling for his job. One of the perks was earning Holiday Inn points....which can be turned in for many different rewards, among them: free nights.)

Here are some of the catchy/quippy slogans and write-ups for a few of their products.

On the free in-room "Smart Roast" coffee packs: Warning: Consuming Smart Roast coffee in conjunction with staying at a Holiday Inn Express hotel may result in rapid increase in intelligence leading to an alienation of friends due to your knowing the answers to everything and not being afraid to say so.

On the bedding: Fresh. Simple. Smart. We've eliminated our traditional bedspread to literally surround you with freshness. A style we call triple sheeting, but you'll call it really, really sweet...like the bedding usually found in those tall, fancy uptown hotels. You may even be tempted to sleep in, so you better set your alarm now because you don't want to miss out on our warm cinnamon rolls and Smart Roast coffee in the morning.

Check out their online store (click on the bottom right hand logo on the website) for more. Pretty ingenious to makes their products available for purchase.

I guess it is all about being smart...or smarter.

Do you think people still steal the towels?