Hotels Biju John | March 25, 2026

IHG accelerates European growth expanding its portfolio by over a quarter in three years

IHG’s European growth story is impressive — they’ve expanded their portfolio by 27% in just three years, adding over 32,800 rooms and surpassing the milestone of 150,000 open rooms across the region. This makes Europe account for about 15% of IHG’s global system size.

Record Year (2025):
- 102 hotel openings.
- 117 new signings.
- Acquisition of Ruby Hotels, a premium urban lifestyle brand.

Portfolio Strength:
Now more than 1,230 open and pipeline hotels across 40+ countries.

Germany’s Role:
- Represents 20% of open rooms (32,700).
- Nearly 20% of pipeline (8,340 rooms).
- Acts as a hub for brand awareness and outbound travel.

Conversions:
Accounted for 84% of openings and 61% of signings in 2025, showing owners’ preference for faster, lower-risk entry into IHG’s ecosystem.

Brand Expansion
- Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses London, InterContinental Prague, Kimpton, Vignette Collection.
- Premium: Launch of Noted Collection, expansion of voco, Crowne Plaza near Disneyland Paris.
- Essentials: Garner brand launches in UK, Germany, Italy, Turkiye; Holiday Inn remains cornerstone (60% of estate).
- Suites: Candlewood Suites debut in Iceland; Staybridge Suites enters Italy.

Takeaway
IHG is scaling with purpose — balancing luxury lifestyle growth with essentials and suites, while leveraging conversions to accelerate expansion.