IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Conversion-Friendly Brands Fuel Growth Opportunities For Owners

Rapid market conversions supported by brands and a commercial engine are a successful formula propelling growth for IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) and its owners. In recent years, IHG has experienced a consistent rise in conversion activity, with total global conversion signings nearly doubling from 2023 to 2024.

Conversion hotels enable owners to leverage quick access to IHG’s prominent enterprise, incorporating marketing, technology, distribution resources, and access to over 145 million IHG One Rewards loyalty members. In just the first quarter of 2025, conversions represented approximately 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 comprise the Vignette Collection (within the luxury and lifestyle category) and voco hotels (in the premium category), both of which saw record openings and signings in 2024. The new premium brand, Ruby, will provide extra flexibility for owners looking at conversion and adaptive reuse projects, as well as new urban lifestyle developments. In the midscale category, Garner hotels consistently fulfill its commitment to quality and affordability for guests, while also enabling quicker ramp-up times for owners.

• Vignette Collection welcomes independent luxury and lifestyle hotels seeking distinct style and character while benefitting from IHG’s global enterprise. Within a few years of its 2021 launch, the brand is already on pace to nearly triple its worldwide 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., Vignette Collection’s ongoing regional expansion includes recent openings in Lima and San Francisco and signings in Japan, France and Germany.
• Considered IHG’s fastest growing premium brand, voco hotels invites guests to “come on in” to a consistently thoughtful experience defined by individual charm. The versatile and flexible brand 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. voco hotels’ 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, the midscale conversion brand Garner Hotels has surpassed 120 open and pipeline hotels. It 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 11^th Americas Garner hotel in Panama City Beach, Fla., along with global debuts in Germany, Italy and Japan. New signings will also introduce the brand to Canada, Türkiye, and other countries.
• The early 2025 acquisition of premium urban lifestyle brand Ruby, now IHG’s 20^th 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.