IHG Turns to Greater China to Expand Global Development
Skift Take
The Americas still takes the (slightly) biggest piece of IHG's development pipeline pie, but Greater China is vaulting forward each year with new signings and higher room counts for the company behind brands like Holiday Inn and InterContinental.
Early Check-In
Editor’s Note: Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill brings readers exclusive reporting and insights into hotel deals and development, and how those trends are making an impact across the travel industry.IHG’s quest to return to the record-setting pace of development and expansion last seen in 2018 relies significantly on international markets.
The hotel parent company behind brands like Holiday Inn, InterContinental, and Kimpton operates a bulk of its portfolio in the U.S. and generally relies on the Holiday Inn brand family — led by Holiday Inn Express — to throttle up its overall guest room count. But the company’s most recent annual report and 20-F filing shows an increasing tilt to Greater China.
Greater China — a debated term within the industry and geopolitics that usually encompasses Mainland China and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau but Chinese leaders also leverage on Taiwan, which companies like IHG have also used — had both the largest share of IHG room openings in 2021 as well as room signings, outperforming both the Americas as well as Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asian countries beyond Chin
