By early June, 60 Holiday Inn hotels had raised the brand's new sign, and chain officials say one-third of the chain, or about 1,000 properties, will adopt the new signage by the end of the year. The new signage is part of a $1-billion program to relaunch the iconic Holiday Inn brand with a more contemporary image, increased quality and service and more product consistency.

Those hotels receiving the new signage range from city centers in Pittsburgh and Dallas to destinations like Destin, FL and Charleston, SC. Among the first was a new-construction Holiday Inn on 6th Avenue in New York City. The 220-room hotel, which opened on June 12, is the brand's 20th in the New York City market. Another 10 hotels, including five in Manhattan, are in the pipeline.

Since announcing the relaunch last year, the company says it has signed more than 250 new Holiday Inn development deals, bringing the brand's pipeline to more than 1,000 hotels globally and 904 in the Americas.