IHG Expands European Portfolio by More Than a Quarter in Three Years - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

IHG Hotels & Resorts has significantly expanded its presence across Europe, adding more than 32,800 rooms to its regional portfolio over the past three years. The increase represents growth of 27 percent and marks an important milestone for the global hotel company as it surpasses 150,000 open rooms in Europe.

The expansion reflects a favorable market environment and strong tourism demand across the continent. According to Cushman & Wakefield, hotel investment in Europe reached €27 billion in 2025 across more than 1,050 hotels, making it the strongest year for investment since 2019. Europe also remains the world’s most visited region, welcoming around 793 million international arrivals in 2025, according to UN Tourism.

Record openings and new brand additions

IHG recorded a particularly active year in 2025, opening 102 hotels across Europe and signing agreements for 117 additional properties. The company also acquired Ruby, a European-based premium urban lifestyle brand, further strengthening its portfolio.

The group’s European footprint now includes more than 1,230 open and pipeline hotels across more than 40 countries. The continued expansion reflects long-standing relationships with hotel owners as well as the ongoing evolution of IHG’s brand portfolio.

Germany plays a key role in the company’s regional growth. The country accounts for more than 20 percent of IHG’s open rooms in Europe, representing around 32,700 rooms, and nearly 20 percent of the development pipeline with approximately 8,340 rooms. As one of the fastest-growing markets for IHG in the region, Germany also contributes significantly to brand visibility and demand across the wider European network.

Milestone of 150,000 open rooms in Europe

Karin Sheppard, SVP and Managing Director Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Across Europe, IHG continues to build strong momentum as we purposefully scale our portfolio, surpassing 150,000 open rooms in the region – a significant milestone for our business. We are growing both new and established brands in priority markets to strengthen our presence across all four segments, underpinned by sustained investment in our enterprise to ensure every IHG brand and hotel remains competitive.

“It is also a moment to recognise our hotel teams across Europe, who consistently deliver exceptional guest experiences in some of the world’s most desirable cities and resort destinations. This achievement reflects the collective strength of our colleagues in more than 40 countries and their unwavering commitment to bringing IHG’s True Hospitality for Good to life.”

Growth across all brand segments

IHG’s expansion in Europe spans its Luxury & Lifestyle, Premium, Essentials and Suites brand segments. In the Luxury & Lifestyle category, recent developments include openings and signings such as Six Senses London and InterContinental Prague, alongside continued expansion of the Kimpton and Vignette Collection brands.

The Premium segment continues to gain momentum with the introduction of the Noted Collection as a new Premium Collection brand. Additional activity includes projects such as Crowne Plaza Marne-la-Vallée near Disneyland Paris, the integration of Ruby Hotels and further growth of the voco brand.

Within the Essentials segment, Garner continues to expand with brand launches in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Türkiye in 2025. The Holiday Inn brand family remains a cornerstone of IHG’s European portfolio, accounting for more than 60 percent of the company’s open hotels in the region.

In the Suites category, Candlewood Suites has entered Iceland with the opening of Candlewood Suites Reykjavik, while Staybridge Suites has expanded into Italy with the launch of Staybridge Suites Milan NoLo.

Conversions gaining importance in Europe

Sheppard added that conversions are playing an increasingly important role in IHG’s development strategy across the region.

“The strong growth across our brand portfolio reflects the rising confidence and trust we are seeing from both new and existing owners in Europe. That confidence is underpinned by the consistent performance of our brands, the strength of our commercial platforms and our ability to support owners with scale, expertise and long-term value creation in a highly competitive market.

“Conversions are playing an increasingly significant role in our growth, accounting for 84 percent of room openings and 61 percent of room signings in Europe in 2025. This highlights owners’ appetite for a faster, lower risk route to market, allowing them to quickly tap into the strength of IHG’s brands, distribution, loyalty and commercial engine.”

IHG currently operates and develops more than 1,230 hotels across over 40 European countries. Its largest markets in the region include the UK and Ireland with 404 open and pipeline properties, Germany with 242 properties, France with 84 properties and Spain with 81 properties.

Image Credit: © IHG