This activity underscores IHG’s dedication to thoughtful growth, demonstrated expertise, and substantial investments in both its brands and enterprise.
The ongoing expansion of IHG’s midscale brands is driven by growing interest from both owners and guests in a market segment anticipated by STR to see its revenue jump from $14 billion today to $18 billion by 2030 in the U.S. The launch of the conversion brand Garner hotels in 2023 enhances IHG’s midscale portfolio, which already includes six brands and over 4,400 hotels either operational or in development across the Americas. This portfolio features the foundational and suite-focused brands such as Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Candlewood Suites, alongside the appealing and rapidly expanding avid hotels and Atwell Suites.
“As the midscale space becomes more attractive and competitive, we continue to leverage guest and owner feedback to grow and evolve our brands. Our six midscale brands have grown to represent more than 80 percent of our system size in the Americas by remaining resilient and agile. With nearly 800 additional properties in the regional pipeline supported by IHG’s robust enterprise capabilities, we look forward to extending our reach across new markets and generations of travelers.”
With nearly seven decades of experience in the sector, IHG’s mid-tier brands are founded on key pillars: delivering quality experiences at reasonable prices, focusing on guest priorities, innovative design, and distinct brand identities.
In 2023, Holiday Inn launched a new upscale breakfast offering and introduced the H5 prototype design near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, in collaboration with Staybridge Suites. The brand boasts over 750 hotels either operational or in development across the Americas, including recent launches in Dallas, Philadelphia, Jalisco (Mexico), and Vancouver Island (Canada).
As IHG’s flagship global brand, representing almost half of its total hotel portfolio, Holiday Inn Express has brought its ethos of “simple, smart travel” to over 50 countries. Over half of the brand’s global agreements in 2023 were signed in the Americas, highlighting key openings in major U.S. cities including Dallas, Atlanta, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Tampa.
Marked as IHG’s upcoming brand poised for significant growth, avid hotels marked its fifth anniversary of operation in September 2023 by opening its first location in New York City. Focused on providing fundamental services excellently, the brand plans to triple its presence in the Americas shortly, adding over 140 sites across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Noteworthy openings in 2023 include new markets in Tulsa (Oklahoma), Fort Worth and Austin (Texas), and Tuscaloosa (Alabama).
Garner hotels celebrated the launch of its first three properties in the U.S., located in suburban Seattle, Macon (Georgia), and Quail Springs (Oklahoma), within five months of its introduction. With seven more signings, the brand aims to establish over 500 hotels in the U.S. over the next ten years. Its initial success has spurred plans for international growth, with franchise opportunities now available in Mexico and soon in Canada in early 2024. Expansion into the EMEAA (Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Africa) region is also in progress, evidenced by a recent agreement to rebrand three hotels to Garner in Osaka, Japan.
Candlewood Suites, known for its welcoming design, supreme comfort, and homely amenities, expanded its portfolio with 49 new agreements in 2023, the highest number for any IHG brand in the Americas. The year’s highlights include new locations in Salt Lake City, suburban Atlanta, and in Houston and Irving (Texas).
Following its successful launch in 2022, the all-studio suite brand Atwell Suites has continued to grow with 16 new signings in the Americas, increasing its regional portfolio to 41 hotels. This expansion includes a new opening in Austin this month, adding to its existing hotels in Miami and Denver, with more openings on the horizon following recent groundbreakings in Las Vegas and Henderson (Nevada), and Fort Worth (Texas).
