Wyndham Reportedly Was InterContinental Hotels' $10 Billion Mystery Suitor

Wyndham Worldwide reportedly was the mystery company that made an unsolicited $10 billion offer to merge with InterContinental Hotels Group in May.

Sky News reports that one of U.S.-based Wyndham's key motivations behind the offer, which InterContinental spurned, was to gain a tax advantage by merging with UK-headquartered IHG. Talks are not ongoing, but could be revived, according to the report.

When a report of the $10 billion offer surfaced last month, analysts speculated that the suitor likely was Starwood Hotels or an investment fund such as Starwood Capital.

InterContinental Hotels CEO Richard Solomons told Skift during a press conference at a hotel industry conference last month that the initial report about the merger was speculative in nature, and that IHG was focusing on organic growth.

Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson chimed in that it would be too complex these days for major hotel groups to merge, and that most were focused instead on creating new brands.