Source: IHG

IHG® Hotels & Resorts' premium vocoTM Hotels brand has officially reached the milestone of 50 signed and open hotels in more than 20 countries across the globe - marking IHG's fastest ever global expansion.

After debuting with its first signing and opening in Australia in 2018, voco Hotels entered IHG's largest markets in the US and China in late 2020, with new properties now open in New York and Hangzhou. Its milestone 50th signing, voco Brisbane City Centre in Australia, which is set to open its doors later this year, will join a growing list of voco hotels popping up in iconic locations around the globe from Paris and New York, to Dubai and Riyadh.

Thanks in part to its ease of conversion, the voco brand is attracting widespread interest from owners looking to convert hotels, maximise returns and quickly benefit from IHG's global scale, technology and booking platforms, as well as one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG® Rewards. Amidst the pandemic, in 2020, IHG reported an increase in conversion activity with 25% of the company's signings as conversions - and 13% of those for the voco brand. The brand's versatility also continues to evolve, with the first all-suites property signed in Doha and the brand's first new-build properties: one now open in Edinburgh, Scotland, and another opening in Nanjing, China, later this year.

Not just appealing to owners, guests love the premium quality and uniqueness of the voco brand too. Designed to stand out from the crowd, every voco hotel has its own sense of style thanks to its commitment to being reliably different. When guests arrive, they can expect the brand's signature

'Come on in' warm welcome, promising a swift and simple check-in, a locally inspired welcome treat and dedicated voco hosts to ensure guests make the most of their stay. With each property offering a different a playful experience, guest can feel right at home with social spaces to re energize and restaurants and bars to celebrate joyful moments. When it's time to relax, they can cozy up in one of the serene guestrooms and enjoy moments to themselves with plush bedding, spa-like showers, luxurious bath products and tempting room service.

With the reliability, surprising individuality and quality of the voco brand, combined with the charm and comfort of each hotel, voco hotels around the globe have reported increased guest satisfaction post-conversion into the IHG system.

Jane Mackie, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Luxury & Upscale Brands, IHG commented: "With the ability to hold onto the informality and charm of an independent hotel, paired with the quality and reassurance of a respected global brand, our voco brand has seen extraordinary growth since launching in Australia only two and a half years ago. With its entry into the US and China last year, we're excited about the growth potential for this brand and its unique offer for owners and guests. By focusing on celebrating each hotel's individual spirit and character, this makes it easier and faster for owners to move from signing to opening, providing a real advantage in today's market."

As the global expansion of voco continues, we're tracking well against our aim of growing to 200 voco hotels in attractive urban and leisure locations around the globe within 10 years.

Here's a look at some of the colourful voco brand's key upcoming openings:

Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa (EMEAA)

  • The brand recently launched in Scotland with the openings of voco Grand Central in Glasgow and voco Edinburgh - Haymarket. The brand is also set to debut in The Netherlands, Italy and Germany, with the planned openings of voco The Hague, voco Dusseldorf and voco in Milan later this year. The new openings will join a strong portfolio of voco hotels in Europe across the UK, France, Austria and Montenegro. voco Paris Montparnasse, which was signed and opened in 2020, has reported double digit increases in guest satisfaction post-conversion.
  • Growth for the brand continues across the Middle East with the signing of voco Jeddah North in Saudi Arabia announced in December 2020 and the first all-suites for voco signed in Doha, Qatar.
  • In Australia, voco Gold Coast and voco Kirkton Park Hunter Valley were among the first to join the brand portfolio. Five more voco properties are due to open in Australasia over the coming years, including the brand's 50th signing, voco Brisbane City Centre, as well as properties in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.
  • The brand will make its debut in Vietnam soon with the voco Ma Belle Danang property, ideally located next to the beachfront along the main thoroughfare of the coastal city.

Greater China

  • IHG created voco with a solution for a quick conversion, making it fast and easy for owners of high-quality, independent hotels to become part of IHG's system. In 2020, following the brand's launch in the region, the 148-room voco Hangzhou Binjiang Minghao was signed and opened in just over two months.
  • IHG's first voco signing in Wuhan is also a conversion property, which will be officially opened as voco Wuhan Xinhua in 2021 after renovations are complete. The property is situated in an ideal location for both leisure and business travellers.
  • In 2021, China will also open two voco hotels in Nanjing - one is a new-build property located in the Garden Expo with amazing architectural and landscape designs; the otherone is converted from the heritage Nanjing Oriental Pearl Hotel in a prime downtown location.

Americas

  • Just a few months after announcing the first locations for the Americas last year, the first voco hotel in the US - voco The Franklin New York - opened in November 2020. Located in the city's prestigious Upper East Side, the hotel captures the 19th century glamour of the Gilded Age, combining historic charm with contemporary convenience, steps from Museum Mile and Madison Avenue.
  • The next voco hotel to open in the US this year is expected to be voco The Tiger in Columbia, Missouri. Where upscale modern meets historic architecture, The Tiger Hotel is a beloved Columbia landmark that captures the magic of the Roaring Twenties. Located in the heart of downtown, the hotel is well placed for boutique shopping and right next to the University of Missouri.

As part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, voco™ guests can stay with confidence thanks to the IHG Clean Promise and enhanced IHG Way of Clean procedures using science-led protocols and service measures in partnership with industry leading experts Cleveland Clinic, Ecolab and Diversey. Find out more at www.ihg.com/clean.

About IHG®

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Lisa Woodman
+44 (0) 7341881786
IHG

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