IHG Hotels & Resorts is accelerating its UK & Ireland expansion through conversions, brand innovation, and strong owner partnerships.
Hotel Management Network sat down with Joanna Kurowska, VP & Managing Director UK & Ireland, and Matt Walton, Head of Development UK & Ireland, to discuss how the company is capitalising on renewed investor confidence and shaping the future of hospitality in the region.
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Driving growth across the UK & Ireland
Hotel Management Network (HMN): IHG has seen strong growth in the UK & Ireland, with thirteen new signings this year. What’s driving the acceleration?
Joanna Kurowska (JK): Three things stand out. First, we have a conversion-friendly brand portfolio that makes it easy for owners to join the IHG system. Second, we take a partner-led approach to development. And third, we’re seeing consistent system growth across the market.
At the half-year mark for 2025, we reported +2.1% year-on-year net system growth in the UK, reflecting a portfolio of around 371 open hotels and 30 in the pipeline across the UK and Ireland. With nearly 54,000 rooms, we’re proud to be the largest global hotel operator in the market.
Our eleven brands, from InterContinental and Kimpton to Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites, allow us to meet diverse guest and owner needs. We also strengthened our Essentials segment this year by launching Garner Hotels in the UK, starting with the Garner Hotel Edinburgh – Haymarket, which joined the system just months after signing.
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By GlobalDataConversions are a major growth driver. In H1 2025, 57% of our global room openings were conversions, and brands such as voco and Garner are leading the way. voco recently celebrated its 100th open hotel worldwide, while Garner’s UK&I pipeline is already three times its current footprint—proof that owners value speed, flexibility, and the power of IHG’s platform.
Capturing a five-year investment high
HMN: With hotel investment in the UK reaching a five-year high, how is IHG positioning itself to capture this momentum?
JK: We’re embracing it with pace and purpose. Savills reported that hotel investment volumes reached £1.35 billion in H1 2025, up 8.4% year-on-year, and we’re responding to that confidence with a balanced approach—new builds, adaptive reuse, and asset rejuvenation.
Take the Holiday Inn Blackpool, developed in partnership with Blackpool Council—it’s a flagship regeneration project and a great example of community-led development. The upcoming Hotel Indigo Gloucester – The Forum, opening in 2026, will bring lifestyle hospitality to a historic city centre.
We’re also investing in our existing portfolio. Holiday Inn Bloomsbury is undergoing a full refurbishment to elevate the guest experience while retaining its legacy. Regionally, Hotel Indigo Torquay will bring a lifestyle edge to the English Riviera, while in Ireland, the voco The Club – Dublin Gateway recently opened, expanding our Irish presence to ten open and pipeline hotels.
London: growth in the capital
HMN: London has seen five new IHG signings in the first half of 2025. What’s exciting you most about the capital?
JK: London continues to be one of the most vibrant hotel markets in the world. There’s momentum across every segment, and our portfolio reflects that diversity.
In the past year we’ve opened voco London – Marylebone, our first voco in the city, and Hotel Indigo London – Clerkenwell. We’ve also announced a dual-branded project at Waterloo, combining voco and Hotel Indigo & Suites, the first of its kind in Europe. In West London, Hotel Indigo London K West is undergoing a major repositioning, and we’re eagerly anticipating the opening of Six Senses London at The Whiteley, which will redefine sustainable luxury when it debuts in late 2025.
The capital’s hotel investment market remains robust, with single-asset transactions up 8% year-on-year. That liquidity benefits our owners and enables us to accelerate both new signings and renovations.
Sustainability and innovation
HMN: Sustainability and guest experience are increasingly shaping hotel investment. How is IHG staying ahead?
JK: Sustainability is central to how we operate. Our Journey to Tomorrow 10-year responsible business plan sets ambitious goals around carbon reduction, waste management, and community impact.
Two initiatives stand out. First, our Low Carbon Pioneers programme, launched in 2024 and expanded this year, brings together hotels that operate without on-site fossil fuel combustion and are powered by renewable energy—voco London – Marylebone is part of this group. Second, voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, which opened in March 2025, is IHG’s first lifecycle net-zero carbon hotel.
We’re also rolling out practical sustainability measures. Across Europe, we’re eliminating single-use plastic water bottles in guest rooms, meetings, and events by December 2025. And through our design and engineering support, we’re helping owners retrofit properties for greater efficiency.
Loyalty and the power of digital
HMN: IHG One Rewards has become a major contributor to performance. How does it enhance both guest experience and business value?
JK: IHG One Rewards now has over 145 million members globally, and the momentum continues to build—enrolments rose 22% in the first half of 2025, and loyalty bookings now represent around 65% of room nights.
The programme was designed to reflect real guest behaviour and choice. The IHG One Rewards app, which won Best Travel App at the 2024 Webby Awards, brings that to life. It allows guests to book, manage, and personalise their stay seamlessly. Loyalty is now a key differentiator for owners—it drives repeat business, spend per stay, and brand affinity.
Conversions and development strategy
HMN: Matt, IHG’s latest signings mix conversions and new builds. What’s shaping those decisions?
Matt Walton (MW): Conversions are the story of the moment. In H1 2025, over half of IHG’s openings were conversions, and we signed 130 more in that period. For owners, it’s about speed and cost efficiency—getting to market quickly without heavy capital outlay.
In the UK, projects like InterContinental Manchester – Deansgate and Hotel Indigo Leeds show how we’re revitalising established assets. Leeds’ oldest hotel, long known as the Cosmopolitan, reopened as Hotel Indigo Leeds this year after a careful restoration that blends heritage with modern design.
Our brand architecture gives us flexibility: Vignette Collection in Luxury & Lifestyle, voco and Ruby Hotels in Premium, and Garner in Essentials. Ruby joined IHG in early 2025, expanding our conversion capabilities in the design-led urban segment.
Garner: a brand on the rise
HMN: Garner’s UK&I pipeline is reportedly triple its open footprint. What’s driving such strong demand?
MW: Garner is built for agility. It’s a midscale conversion brand that lets owners move quickly and benefit from IHG’s global systems and loyalty reach. It combines familiar quality with local character, appealing to both business and leisure guests.
For owners, the model delivers exceptional economics. Garner Hotel Edinburgh – Haymarket, which opened in mid-2025, went from signing to opening in just three months—proof of the brand’s conversion efficiency. Since its 2023 launch, Garner has grown to nearly 60 open and pipeline hotels across Europe, with strong traction in the UK & Ireland.
Heritage, design, and adaptive reuse
HMN: How does IHG balance preserving historic assets with delivering modern hospitality?
MW: We start with place and community. For example, Hotel Indigo Leeds honours the building’s heritage through restored architectural details, while bringing in contemporary interiors and a locally inspired restaurant, Banksia. The Indigo brand is designed to reflect the character of its neighbourhood—it’s about storytelling through design.
We’re also embracing adaptive reuse as part of our development toolkit. The upcoming Holiday Inn Express London – Woolwich, converted from an office building, shows how we can repurpose existing structures to create efficient, sustainable hotels. Adaptive reuse cuts embodied carbon and helps owners realise returns faster—particularly in urban markets where new-builds can be challenging.
Looking Ahead
HMN: What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for hotel development in the UK & Ireland?
JK: The fundamentals are strong. VisitBritain forecasts over 43 million inbound visits and £33.7 billion in spending this year, with growth across both leisure and business travel. Investors are confident, and we’re building on that through thoughtful, long-term growth.
The challenge is to stay product-fit—continuing to modernise our existing estate, decarbonise operations, and keep pace with evolving guest expectations. That’s why we’re innovating across every brand, including a refreshed Holiday Inn Express public-space design, launched at our Windsor property earlier this year.
MW: It’s also about flexibility. Whether through conversions, new builds, or adaptive reuse, we want to give owners multiple ways to join IHG’s ecosystem. The combination of scale, strong brand architecture, and local partnership is what will drive our next phase of growth.
About IHG Hotels & Resorts:
IHG Hotels & Resorts is a UK-headquartered global hospitality company with a portfolio spanning luxury to essentials, including InterContinental, Six Senses, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, voco, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Garner and Staybridge Suites. The group operates in 100+ countries and powers guest loyalty through IHG One Rewards.
