IHG Hotels & Resorts Launches New Midscale Conversion Brand, Garner
August 17, 2023
IHG Hotels & Resorts launched Wednesday its new midscale conversion brand, Garner – an IHG Hotel. The brand is targeted toward “guests wanting great value stays at high-quality properties, and for owners seeking higher returns in the midscale segment,” a press release said.
“Garner is another exciting step forward in the transformation of our brand portfolio, bringing to the midscale market a brand we know owners and guests want from IHG,” Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer for IHG, said. “Owners are attracted to the benefits of IHG’s global scale, strong enterprise, technology platforms and leading IHG One Rewards programme, supported by our proven success in developing, launching and growing brands. We have already received more than 100 definitive expressions of interest in Garner, which demonstrates the strong potential in the segment.”
Owners have expressed their desire to work with a high-quality conversion brand at a lower price point, and IHG has developed Garner based on their feedback and insight. In addition to the benefit of accessing IHG’s global sales organization, strong low-cost distribution systems and lower procurement costs, owners will value the brand’s flexible approach to conversions. IHG will work with each owner and property site to evaluate the level of renovation required, while still providing Garner’s brand-defining hallmarks and experience.
“Garner will give owners and guests what they’ve been missing in the midscale space,” Jen Gribble, SVP of Global Marketing Mainstream Brands for IHG, said. “We’ve designed this brand to deliver on what’s expected – a great night’s sleep in a clean, comfortable space, with a breakfast worth getting up for. But how we deliver it will be different – from the warm and welcoming team to the lobby décor, our style is refreshingly approachable which appeals to all types of guests.”
Over the decades, IHG has built an industry-leading position in the upper midscale segment with its iconic brands Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn. To extend its leadership, Garner arrives at a lower price point and conversion cost per key than Holiday Inn Express, and will complement IHG’s new-build midscale brand, avid hotels, as the focus on accelerating growth in the segment continues.
Garner will be ready to franchise initially in the US by early September, with the first hotels expected to open by the end of 2023. With a goal to expand globally, IHG expects the brand to reach an estate of over 500 hotels over the next 10 years and 1,000 hotels over the next 20 years in the US alone. The midscale segment in the US represents a $14 billion market today that is set to reach $18 billion in hotel revenue by 2030.