IHG Hotels & Resorts Chosen As Official Hotel Partner Of The Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions Tour, Australia 2025

IHG Joins British & Irish Lions Australia Tour

IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) has been selected as the Official Hotel Partner for the Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia, an event expected to be one of the most enormous sporting spectacles in 2025. This partnership enhances IHG’s twenty-year relationship with Rugby Australia, and continues its trend of collaborating with partners to provide unique experiences and exclusive access for over 145 million IHG One Rewards members.

Returning to Australia for the first time in 12 years this June, the British & Irish Lions will play six Tour matches, including three Test matches against the Wallabies in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. As an Official Partner, IHG will engage with fans in the stadium and during events, featuring activations in the Lions Den and Wallabies fan zones across these three cities, alongside IHG Hotels & Resorts’ branding on the Wallabies match shorts.

Matt Tripolone, Managing Director, Australasia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts said: “The Lions Tour is renowned for transcending borders to unite nations in celebration of sporting history, excellence, and performance. The buzz is already palpable, and we are incredibly proud to be chosen as the Official Hotel Partner, providing a welcoming home base for teams and fans alike, while being able to connect our IHG One Rewards members with unmissable experiences.”

Ben Calveley, CEO of The British & Irish Lions, said: “A Lions Tour places many demands on players and staff, so making sure we have a home away from home, thanks to our partners at IHG, is crucial. With record-breaking numbers of Lions fans already travelling in 2025, we also know that our loyal supporters will find many comforts across IHG's portfolio.

“Everyone at The British & Irish Lions is also committed to taking pride in all the places we visit as we look to have a positive impact on the communities that we will visit in Australia. And I’m pleased to say that this is also an ethos shared with IHG and Rugby Australia.”

Phil Waugh, CEO of Rugby Australia, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to extend Rugby Australia’s long-standing partnership with IHG into this year’s highly anticipated British & Irish Lions Tour of Australia. IHG hotels provide a perfect home away from home for our teams in gold, allowing them to focus fully on their preparation and challenges on the field.”

As we approach the Tour and during the June-August matches, IHG One Rewards loyalty members will be central to the excitement, enjoying exclusive benefits and access. This includes unique, hard-to-get packages available on the IHG One Rewards Access platform, social media giveaways, and engaging experiences at the properties.

The partnership enhances IHG’s esteemed reputation for backing top sports teams, highlighted by its enduring role as Official Partner of the Wallabies and its status as the first Official Hotel Partner of Six Nations Rugby. Furthermore, IHG’s dedication to sustainability through its Journey to Tomorrow initiative resonates with partners of the Lions Tour, including the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, named the Global Charity Partner. This organization is particularly significant for IHG, with the InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef recognized as one of the world’s most iconic private island resorts.

The Tour aims to draw over 40,000 visitors along with numerous fans from around the nation. With more than 50 hotels in Australia and over 6,500 worldwide, IHG is set to host the Rugby festival through its varied portfolio of brands catering to every type of traveler, such as InterContinental, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, voco, Holiday Inn, and others.