ATLANTA, Georgia—IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) has seen a steady increase in conversion activity in recent years, with its total global conversion signings nearly doubling between 2023 and 2024. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, conversions accounted for around 60 percent of global openings and 40 percent of global signings for IHG.
Jolyon Bulley, chief executive officer, Americas at IHG, said, “Owners’ growing interest in converting hotels to IHG brands signals that they continue to see tremendous value in our brands and the ability to plug into IHG’s powerful enterprise system. While new build development always will remain important globally, our broad portfolio of soft brands and those that are conducive for conversions across the chain scales give owners more choice and avenues for success.”
IHG’s soft brands include Vignette Collection (in the luxury and lifestyle segment) and voco hotels (in the premium segment), which had record opening and signing totals in 2024. Ruby will offer additional flexibility for owners interested in conversion and adaptive reuse projects, in addition to new builds, across the urban lifestyle space. In the midscale segment, the Garner hotels brand continues to deliver on its promise of quality and affordability for guests and faster ramp-up times for owners.
- Vignette Collection welcomes independent luxury and lifestyle hotels seeking distinct style and character while benefiting from IHG’s global brand power. Within a few years of its 2021 launch, Vignette Collection is already on pace to nearly triple its global estate and is more than 60 percent of the way to its goal of attracting 100 hotels in its first decade. Following the 2023 opening of its first Americas destination in Washington, D.C., the brand’s ongoing regional expansion includes recent openings in Lima and San Francisco and signings in Japan, France, and Germany.
- voco hotels aims to reach 200 open or pipeline global properties by 2028, bolstered by late 2024 Americas openings in Atlanta, Tucson, Ariz., and Laguna Hills, Calif. The brand’s latest global signings include six in Greater China and planned market debuts in Canada, Aruba, and Türkiye.
- Within two years of its August 2023 launch, Garner hotels has surpassed 120 open and pipeline hotels and is positioned to quadruple its worldwide reach in the coming years. Garner hotels has gained popularity with owners thanks to its competitive conversion cost per key, flexible design standards, and reduced pre-opening costs through a rapid conversion process. Notable recent openings include the 11th Americas Garner hotel in Panama City Beach, Florida, along with global debuts in Germany, Italy, and Japan. New signings will also introduce the brand to Canada, Türkiye, and beyond.
- The early 2025 acquisition of urban lifestyle brand Ruby, now IHG’s 20th global brand, brings more than 30 hotels to the portfolio. Ruby’s “urban micro” model has proven successful for new build, conversion, and adaptive reuse projects across major European cities, including several openings within former office buildings and non-traditional commercial developments. IHG expects Ruby to be ready for franchising within the U.S. later this year and anticipates opening more than 120 branded hotels within the next decade, including new signings in Copenhagen, Berlin, and Geneva.
