Each Considered one of IHG’s 17 Lodge Manufacturers, Defined

InterContinental Lodges Group (IHG) has all the time been a forerunner of hospitality traits, given how its manufacturers span from just-the-basics highway warriors to experience-seeking luxurious vacationers. A number of of its manufacturers anticipated shifts in visitor tastes forward of the pack. Earlier than Instagram and hybrid working, the group created and purchased way of life manufacturers with photogenic lobbies for visitors who mix enterprise and leisure journey. IHG additionally invented the idea of a lodge loyalty program. Right this moment, with practically 6,000 properties in additional than 100 international locations and with greater than $2.9 billion in annual revenues, U.Ok.-based IHG curates 17 manufacturers serving visitors and homeowners with really diversified wants. 

The competitors is fierce, a truth of life that the lodge large’s management confronts day by day.

“We all the time must up our recreation, so we’ve got to proceed to take a position increasingly in expertise, cut back friction within the digital expertise, and discover higher methods of lowering prices for homeowners and our expertise platforms,” CEO Keith Barr informed Skift in January. “We are able to’t sit nonetheless, however it’s fairly darn laborious to switch [the traditional hotel experience], which is the benefit we’ve got.”

Learn on for perception from IHG on every of its 17 manufacturers, adopted by our personal takes. 

Word: World footprint numbers and quoted takes from IHG are from every model’s house web page, with property and room quantity knowledge from March 31, 2022.

Six Senses

• 21 open accommodations
• 1,412 open rooms
• 33 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “Every Six Senses property commits to visitor rejuvenation and reconnection, with an professional concentrate on wellness and sustainability and creating a spot the place folks can reconnect, in concord with the native surroundings.”

Skift Take: Since its acquisition in 2012, Six Senses has been a balancing act of luxurious and sustainability. Its well-developed missions to create zero waste, resembling by striving to be plastic-free and by rising vegetables and fruit on-site, recommend that this model is well-positioned for an anticipated rising demand for greener journey. Many manufacturers battle to get homeowners to spend on sustainability, however Six Senses commits them by administration contract, stated Raini Hamdi in IHG’s Six Senses Goes a Step Additional on Being Inexperienced Amongst Lodge Chains. Subsequently, Six Senses efficiently shifts the luxurious lodge narrative into one thing more healthy for the surroundings. It’s all within the title. This model appeals to the six senses whereas additionally making strides to realize what one can’t sense, however is turning into extra crucial by the day.

Regent

• 7 open accommodations
• 2,190 open rooms
• 8 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: Regent Lodges “seeks to redefine luxurious hospitality by innovation and design based mostly on understanding the fashionable luxurious client,” with the objective of turning into one of many world’s “most prestigious luxurious manufacturers with accommodations in gateway cities and resort locations around the globe.” 

Skift Take: Although companies struggled in the course of the pandemic, Regent has not given up on its high-lux initiatives. Those that are financially succesful are able to deal with themselves, and this model’s upscale rooms and suites, wellness amenities, and eating choices — which can be found in 8 places throughout the globe — are up for the problem. 

InterContinental

• 207 open accommodations
• 69,917 open rooms
• 79 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “Because the world’s first worldwide luxurious journey lodge model, we’ve got been pioneering new worldwide locations for many years. Every of our accommodations is a vacation spot in its personal proper with a particular fashion and atmosphere, from historic buildings to metropolis landmarks and immersive resorts in each nook of the globe.”

Skift Take: As a consequence of InterContinental’s concentrate on worldwide journey and cultural experiences, this model is struggling, like every other, to get again on its toes because the pandemic. Nevertheless, it’s IHG’s most well-known model and dates again to 1946, so it’s not going wherever. Its opponents are Grand Hyatt, W Lodges, JW Marriott, and Ritz-Carlton, however the massive variety of accommodations and simultaneous lavishness appear to maintain the model afloat.

Vignette

• 2 open accommodations
• 539 open rooms
• 6 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “We’ve created a group model that offers visitors an inspiring new alternative. A household of one-off accommodations the place visitors can indulge a rising ardour for stays which might be genuine, experiential, and thoughtful. Distinctive and Proudly impartial, our accommodations all embody luxurious another way. What they share is a dedication to a succinct set of requirements that we all know discerning visitors hunt down and love.”

Skift Take: The Vignette Assortment is at present open in Brisbane and Bangkok, however different places in Asia and Europe are coming quickly. It’s a delicate model, which permits IHG to compete with comparable branches of Hilton and Accor, which have each pointed to luxurious and way of life accommodations as main sources of progress.This model looks like it could be one of many last touches for IHG’s ultra-luxe accommodations and due to its customized but high-end strategy, it is just serving to elevate charges and evaluations. Although every location has differing types, there are a handful of high quality provides — from cocktail trolleys to morning yoga on the seashore —that make visitors really feel cared for each time.  

Kimpton

• 75 open accommodations
• 13,297 open rooms
• 38 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “Because the business pioneer that first launched the boutique idea to the US, we at Kimpton® Lodges & Eating places are famend for making vacationers really feel genuinely cared for by considerate perks and facilities, creative conferences and occasions, daring and playful design, and a sincerely private fashion of visitor service.”

Skift Take: Kimpton’s boutique expertise with modern city places and inventive, customized decor is crucial to this model’s mission. Straying from the standard facilities of bigger accommodations, Kimpton hopes to draw youthful crowds who’re in search of distinctive and new journey experiences. Kimpton had a mighty historical past of monetary success previous to IHG’s acquisition of it for $430 million again in 2015. It was additionally one of many first manufacturers to supply a hosted completely happy hour for visitors, and was early to proclaiming inclusion for LGBTQIA visitors. IHG’s companions have invested in recent rethinkings of some properties, resembling Kimpton Saint George (Toronto) and Kimpton Banneker (D.C.), however we fear that IHG hasn’t been giving sufficient help to assist this gem of a model fulfill its full market potential.

Lodge Indigo

• 133 open accommodations
• 16,717 open rooms
• 119 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “At Lodge Indigo we serve the curious – people who find themselves impressed by new locations, new folks and new concepts. With accommodations in culturally various places all around the world, no two properties are the identical. Every is a part of the heart beat and the rhythm of a spot, drawing on the story of its native space to encourage each side of the lodge, from intriguing design to distinctive native elements in our menus.”

Skift Take: Lodge Indigo can be a boutique lodge, however with extra of an emphasis on cultural immersion and magnificence. It fixates on localness and creating a way of place. It achieves this by the addition of native artwork, specialised meals, and varied experiences based mostly on location. This manner, it would really feel like you’re staying at an in depth good friend’s place in a brand new metropolis with heaps to have a look at, versus discovering a lodge to crash at every night time. This model adjustments every property’s design each 5 years to take care of its recent really feel, suggesting that it is going to be “hip” for a very long time. 

Voco

• 35 open accommodations
• 8,523 open rooms
• 36 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “Drawing on our years of expertise in delivering True Hospitality, voco accommodations, provides folks a special alternative. Lodges which might be dependable sufficient to depend upon, however completely different sufficient to be enjoyable. Our new household of accommodations are related by their particular person characters, that make memorable journey reliable. Unstuffy accommodations, the place folks really feel snug to chill out, and simply get on with enjoyable. Lodges that stand out from the group.”

Skift Take: A part of Voco’s magic has to do with the chance for homeowners to really make it their very own. Whereas its soft-brand strategy is a brilliant enterprise mannequin it might not consolation returning clientele. With that being stated, it was IHG’s quickest model to launch, and is constant to alter and develop by the minute.

Hualuxe

• 17 open accommodations
• 4,893 open rooms
• 22 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “We’ve got woven into each element of the luxurious model’s service and design an acknowledgment of Chinese language tradition and heritage, with specific emphasis on the Chinese language values of etiquette, rejuvenation in nature, recognition of standing and enabling areas.”

Skift Take: Hualuxe is the “first upscale worldwide lodge model designed particularly for Chinese language visitors,” as acknowledged in its mission assertion. As of proper now, this model solely has places in Higher China, however there are plans to broaden worldwide. IHG had already been established in China for over 35 years with different lodge manufacturers earlier than taking Hualuxe below its wing, so it was effectively geared up to create a Chinese language culture-inspired keep. 

Even Lodges

• 21 open accommodations
• 2,994 open rooms
• 29 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “Our accommodations and wellness-savvy employees supply visitors a best-in-class health expertise, more healthy meals decisions and pure, enjoyable areas.”

Skift Take: Because it suggests within the title, Even Lodges is supposed to supply vacationers with a sense of steadiness. Most lodge gyms stink. Ultimately, there’s a model that guarantees high quality gear. By way of meals, Even’s “Cork & Kale” menu plan consists of all pure elements to gas visitors. Even Lodges has continued to develop because it opened in 2012, leaning into the lots who wish to deal with their our bodies. It looks like folks wish to get off the sofa after two years in a pandemic and go for the lodge with a wellness-based mannequin. 

Crowne Plaza

• 406 open accommodations
• 111,491 open rooms
• 107 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “At Crowne Plaza Lodges & Resorts we imagine enterprise journey ought to work higher. In each market on the planet, enterprise has modified, and so has work. It’s extra digital, extra versatile, extra cell, extra related. As one of many world’s largest upscale manufacturers, we’ve got properties positioned in main city centres, gateway cities and resort locations throughout the globe.”

Skift Take: Crowne Plaza markets itself towards the fashionable enterprise traveler who seeks a candy spot between enterprise and leisure. Its design pays consideration to assembly areas and particular person areas for work. With the resurgence of enterprise journey post-pandemic, this model is making ahead strides to rebound. Within the top of the pandemic, IHG eliminated 90 accommodations from Crowne Plaza and Vacation Inn in an try to take care of profitability. This model has paid its dues and can stick round as long as the transition again right into a bustling, business-oriented world continues.

Vacation Inn Specific

• 3034 open accommodations
• 319, 407 open rooms
• 658 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “At Vacation Inn Specific accommodations we maintain it easy and sensible. As IHG’s quickest rising lodge model, we’re first alternative for the growing variety of vacationers who want a easy, partaking place to relaxation, recharge and get slightly work achieved. We provide every little thing visitors want and supply extra the place it issues most.”

Skift Take: Fairly priced and overlaying fundamental requirements, Vacation Inn Specific now covers a number of territory. With 658 accommodations within the pipeline, this model dips into each company and leisure journey due to its lengthy historical past of trustworthiness. When Covid compelled accommodations to close down throughout Europe, over 80 p.c of Vacation Inn Specific’s remained open. It’s an important model that will get the job achieved, after which some.

Vacation Inn

• 1,192 open accommodations
• 215,841 open rooms
• 251 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “At Vacation Inn Lodges & Resorts we satisfaction ourselves in delivering heat and welcoming experiences for visitors staying for enterprise or pleasure. Whether or not it’s time with associates, household, colleagues or shoppers we’ve got a breadth of accommodations from city centres to seashore resorts providing environments, companies and facilities that make it straightforward to work, relaxation and join.”

Skift Take: Vacation Inn has grown to be so profitable that not solely is its title talked about in varied fashionable songs, however there are an estimated two folks checking in each second, in response to IHG’s web site. The Vacation Inn Specific model is geared towards shorter stays, whereas this model is supposed for a number of days longer — with full service slightly than restricted. “The Vacation Inn” is recognizable, tried and true, and folks love to return again to what they know. Alternatively, there may be the fear that it’s going to grow to be stale. To handle this, the model introduced in 2021 that it was beginning the 12 months with a “model refresh.” 

Avid

• 52 open accommodations
• 4,676 open rooms
• 161 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “At avid accommodations, we’re championing on a regular basis journey at a good value, assembly the wants of the visitors who all too typically must pay extra for issues they don’t want, or compromise on the standard they anticipate. We’re right here to supply the kind of hospitality they worth most – the necessities achieved exceptionally effectively. Experiences that really feel good, each time.”

Skift Take: Just like the Vacation Inn Specific, Avid goals to efficiently fulfill prospects’ wants—no extra and no much less. As a result of model’s environment friendly enterprise mannequin, it is ready to function effectively with out extraneous bills. This constructive suggestions loop retains Avid worthwhile and with completely happy vacationers who want a reliable place to remain for a really affordable value. Avid’s “look” consists of easy designs with purple, aqua, and heat neutrals that present a sensible really feel. 

Atwell Suites

• 1 open lodge
• 90 open rooms
• 22 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “Welcome to Atwell Suites, a brand new upper-midscale, all-suites lodge model that brings inspiration to each journey. Our accommodations give visitors choices at each flip, to allow them to select a keep that’s proper for them. We create an surroundings that enables visitors to construct connections, discover their place, and be themselves. Lodges that present our visitors with alternatives to discover and spark curiosity. Regardless of the place they’re headed, we assist visitors take their journey to new locations.”

Skift Take: The all-suites phase wanted a classy model meant for longer stays, and Atwell Suites got here to the rescue. On the edgier aspect, Atwell has mid-century fashionable furnishings and decor that you simply may discover in a higher-class Airbnb. The spacious suite design consists of its personal kitchenette—however don’t fear there may be nonetheless a complimentary breakfast. Atwell Suites stuffed the necessity for an upper-mid scale suite fashion lodge, and it has but to disappoint. 

Staybridge Suites

• 318 open accommodations
• 34,559 open rooms
• 158 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “We imagine our visitors deserve extra, and it’s all the time been our easy mission to supply one thing completely different. Distinct. Extra space and a higher sense of group that breaks down the partitions of monotonous, restrictive journey – that can assist you really feel unconfined…and expertise a break from the journey norm.” 

Skift Take: Spaciousness is one in all Staybridge’s robust fits, as its suite-style rooms supply full kitchens and an outside house. About half of visitors keep for at the very least 5 nights, proving that this model takes the lead in areas with a requirement for prolonged stays. The staff-to-guest ratio is low, which drives revenue margins. Whereas this may increasingly seem to be a draw back for vacationers, there are a handful of facilities that present a really residential-like expertise. Important opponents embrace the Residence Inn, Hyatt Home, and Homewood Suites, however Staybridge places up a superb combat in client model consciousness with over 300 open accommodations.

Vacation Inn Membership Holidays

• 28 open resorts
• 8,822 open villas
• 0 resorts within the pipeline

IHG Take: “Our Vacation Inn Membership Holidays homeowners are a part of a group of people that perceive the significance of household and investing in a lifetime of invaluable recollections. Our assortment of US resorts has expanded quickly because the model launched in 2008. All supply spacious villa lodging for households in high leisure locations, and entry to world-class sights resembling mountain adventures, championship golf programs and serene seashores.”

Skift Take: This model is supposed for bigger teams and longer stays, due to the choice of timeshare possession and deluxe villas. Vacation Inn Membership Holidays earnings off the will to have wealthy experiences. These resorts are supposed to type bonds and join visitors as a lot as the gorgeous location they selected to trip close to. As probably the most up-scale Vacation Inn model, it supplies households with way more than the trusted necessities. 

Candlewood Suites

• 361 open accommodations
• 32,024 open rooms
• 107 accommodations within the pipeline

IHG Take: “At Candlewood Suites, we imagine the world could be a greater place if everybody had the private and bodily house to create a way of normalcy when touring for a protracted time period. Our visitors have come to depend upon us for dependable companies and facilities that help their impartial methods. It’s our mission to supply your house to settle in.”

Skift Take: This model is extremely dependable with restricted facilities. It will not be an thrilling, experience-filled keep, however it works effectively for many who are staying on the longer aspect and wish to really feel sound. “Normalcy” is one in all its adjectives on the positioning, which captures its essence completely. No surprises, however satisfying. Because it promotes visitor independence, it doesn’t require a big group of staff to stick with it and operating. Candlewood is an asset for IHG due to its simplicity.