IHG in Trademark Clash With Marriott Over New Hotel Brand, City Express
Skift Take
IHG has petitioned to cancel Marriott's newest trademark, City Express by Marriott. IHG feels the name is just a little too close for comfort to its own popular hotel brand, Holiday Inn Express?
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is opposing Marriott International's bid to trademark City Express by Marriott.
Last month, IHG petitioned the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the trademark for Marriott's newest hotel brand, filings show.
A source told Skift that IHG was concerned that the word "Express" in City Express, combined with the brand's "affordable midscale" positioning, would be "confusingly similar" to Holiday Inn Express, which has a large U.S. footprint. The source is familiar with the IHG team's thinking but asked for anonymity
