IHG accelerates European growth, expanding its portfolio by more than a quarter in three years | News
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, is rapidly expanding its presence in Europe, adding more than 32,800 rooms to its portfolio in the past three years – a growth of 27%.
A supportive macroeconomic backdrop continues to drive IHG’s growth as the company expands its scale and presence in Europe’s key destinations. In 2025, European hotel investment reached €27 billion across more than 1,050 hotels – the strongest year since 2019 (Cushman & Wakefield). This momentum is supported by Europe’s position as the most visited region in the world, which will welcome around 793 million international arrivals in 2025 (UN Tourism).
Last year, IHG opened a record 102 hotels and signed an impressive 117 properties in Europe, acquiring Ruby, the European-based premium urban lifestyle brand. The company’s European portfolio now includes more than 1,230 open and pipeline hotels in more than 40 countries. This continued growth reflects decades of strong owner relationships and continued brand evolution, driven by a single ambition: to deliver consistently brilliant experiences in every destination.
Germany plays a central role in this growth story – both as a strong domestic market and as one of Europe’s most important outbound markets. It is one of IHG’s fastest growing countries in the region, representing more than 20% of its open rooms (32,700) and nearly 20% of its pipeline (8,340 rooms). The momentum in Germany increases brand awareness and drives demand and performance across IHG’s broader European and global portfolio.
Karin Sheppard, SVP & Managing Director, Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Across Europe, IHG continues to build strong momentum as we purposefully scale our portfolio and exceed 150,000 open rooms in the region – a key milestone for our business. We are growing both new and established brands in priority markets to strengthen our presence across all four segments, supported by continued investment in our business to ensure every IHG brand and hotel remains competitive.
“It is also a moment to recognize our hotel teams across Europe, who consistently deliver exceptional guest experiences in some of the world’s most sought-after cities and resort destinations. This achievement reflects the collective strength of our colleagues in more than 40 countries and their continued commitment to bringing IHG’s True Hospitality for Good to life.”
IHG’s growth across Europe spans its Luxury & Lifestyle, Premium, Essentials and Suites portfolios. Recent highlights include.
Luxury and lifestyle: openings and signings such as Six Senses London and InterContinental Prague, in addition to the continued growth of Kimpton and Vignette Collection in key European markets.
Premium: The momentum continues with the launch of Noted Collection as the latest Premium Collection brand, further strengthening the offering in Europe. Additional momentum thanks to signings, including Crowne Plaza – Marne-la-Vallée near Disneyland Paris, the addition of Ruby Hotels and the further expansion of voco.
Essentials: Garner continues to grow, with brand launches in Britain, Germany, Italy and Turkiye in 2025, while the Holiday Inn Brand Family remains a cornerstone of IHG’s portfolio, accounting for more than 60% of the company’s open European estate.
Suites: Candlewood Suites debuts in Iceland with the opening of Candlewood Suites Reykjavik, while Staybridge Suites enters Italy with Staybridge Suites Milan NoLo.
Sheppard continued: “The strong growth of our brand portfolio reflects the increasing confidence 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 important role in our growth, accounting for 84% of room openings and 61% of room signages in Europe by 2025. This highlights owners’ desire for a faster route to market with less risk, allowing them to quickly benefit from the strength of IHG’s brands, distribution, loyalty and commercial engine.”
IHG has 1,230 open and pipeline hotels in more than 40 countries in Europe. The largest markets are the United Kingdom and Ireland (404 open and pipeline properties), Germany (242 open and pipeline properties), France (84 open and pipeline properties) and Spain (81 open and pipeline properties).
*Figures as of December 31, 2025
