IHG isn’t expanding at the rate of some of its competitors. The company’s review process of poorly performing Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza properties can’t end soon enough.
In this video recording from Skift Global Forum, we hear from Joseph Rajadurai, vice president & general manager, travel & hospitality, Cognizant, and George Turner, chief commercial and technology officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts, who discussed digital strategies that started in response to the pandemic and are now influencing the future of the travel industry.
Failed deals between a Boston real estate owner and Marriott and IHG as well as the Red Lion parent company acquisition gave Sonesta an early leg up in its growth ambition. Now comes the hard part: organic growth.
In Skift's top stories this week, IHG makes further inroads in the luxury sector, the travel industry grapples with the prolonged absence of Chinese visitors, 2021 emerges as the year of travel companies going public, and the trend of tour operator mergers continues.
All the major hotel companies see upside in pushing into the high-end sector. IHG zeroing in on independent luxury hotels is a smart strategy to rack up rooms growth against the competition beyond the tough-to-crack luxury markets in the U.S. and China.
Luxury and lifestyle hotels may be the shiniest assets in a hotel company’s portfolio, but investors want to be where the travelers are. That means pumping money into more affordable offerings like Hilton’s Tru, IHG’s Holiday Inn, and Marriott’s Fairfield Inn — all concepts that snapped back fast from the pandemic.
WeWork and IWG will vie for an “asset light” future to recover after the pandemic. And with that, branding becomes even more important in the world of work.
In Skift's top travel stories this week, IHG is launching its 17th brand, global consultancies will cut business travel spend, Oyo edged toward an initial public offering, and British Airways' parent grew its startup accelerator during the pandemic.