Applying our familiarity with both hospitality and Department of Defense design to transform a U.S. Army lodge into a branded hotel

Holiday Inn Express - Abrams Hall Addition and Renovations

Abrams Hall began its life as a U.S. Army lodge at Fort Benning. Following the completion of the project, Lendlease assumed ownership of the facility under the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program. Based on our design work for the original building, Lendlease approached us to help them with converting the lodge into a Holiday Inn Express, bringing it up to parent company IHG’s brand standards.

While built to accommodate 860 rooms, the lodge needed a dining space sized to meet IHG’s requirements. We designed a 5,200-square-foot (483-square-metre) addition to provide dining for over 200 people. Along with the dining room, the addition includes a breakfast bar and coffee stations, guest pantry, and walk-in freezer. Our design for the renovation focused on implementing brand standards and creating a lobby, a front desk, snack and baggage areas, and a fitness center.

The addition and renovations not only brought the facility up to IHG brand standards but resulted in a better guest experience and more functional and accommodating spaces for those who stay there.