• by Tanya Gazdik , July 8, 2015

InterContinental Hotel Group's Holiday Inn Express has hired actor and comedian Rob Riggle as its “creative director and breakfast excellence honcho.” The former “Daily Show” correspondent's first task is launching a contest to name the hotel brand's pancake machine.

In this newly created role, Riggle will be responsible for driving Express Start breakfast enthusiasm for the brand through a variety of programs and content rolling out over the summer and fall of 2015.

Guests have told the hotel chain that breakfast is one of the most influential factors when choosing where they stay, says Jennifer Gribble, vice president, Holiday Inn Express Brand, Americas.

“So the creation of this new position was a no-brainer,” Gribble says in a release. “In this role, Rob's sole focus is to tell the world about our Express Start breakfast bar experience in the humorous and engaging way guests have come to expect from the Holiday Inn Express brand. His creativity, wit and colossal appetite for pancakes make him the perfect addition to the Holiday Inn Express team.”

The Holiday Inn Express brand will feature Riggle in its latest “Stay Smart” campaign spots, launching Wednesday.

Consumers can enter that pancake machine naming contest online through July 31 for a chance to win a trip to Montreal or Vermont. Entries will be judged based on their creativity, humor and breakfast-relevancy. Daily and weekly prizes include iTunes, Delta Airlines and MasterCard gift cards.

Riggle is collaborating with the brand to contribute big ideas around when, where and how travelers experience the Holiday Inn Express brand’s delicious breakfast, which will be introduced in the coming months. Riggle will be featured on staysmart.com as well as the Holiday Inn Express brand’s YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.