Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

IHG Hotels & Resorts opens its 6,000th hotel

It also has opened more than 25 Holiday Inn Express properties featuring its Formula Blue 2.0 design across the U.S. and Canada

IHG Hotels & Resorts opens its 6,000th hotel

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS recently reached two milestones. The first was opening its 6,000th hotel, and the next was the opening of 25 Holiday Inn Express Hotels with its new Formula Blu 2.0 design.

The 6,000 Club features a collection of newly opened hotels with a global reach of 17 brands. It was was commemorated by IHG CEO, Keith Barr, at the New York Stock Exchange on June 7 when he rang the bell to signal the close of trading, a statement said.


The new additions to its portfolio in the past five years include luxury & lifestyle brands Six Senses, Regent and Vignette Collection; Premium brand, voco hotels; Essentials brand, avid hotels; and Suites brand, Atwell Suites. Hotels in the 6,000 Club included the Candlewood Suites Nashville South, owned by Minesh Deva, and Hotel Indigo NYC Wall Street, owned by Atlas Hospitality led by Raj Guru as managing member and director of development, Vinod Chand as managing member and systems director and Paul Patel as director of operations.

“I’m incredibly proud of our IHG Hotels & Resorts teams for reaching a milestone of 6,000 hotels open around the world and would like to thank our owners for their collaboration and our guests for their love and trust in our brands. Every single property we open is a cause for celebration as we offer guests unrivaled experiences in amazing locations and give owners even more reasons to work with us," Barr, said. "Our new partnerships will connect more of our IHG One Rewards members with memorable moments, as travel continues to return. With over 1,800 hotels in our pipeline, I’m looking forward to IHG’s next chapter of growth and to celebrating plenty more milestones to come.”

The company announced a series of multi-year sports and entertainment partnerships for IHG One Rewards members that will connect travelers at events around the world, including Major League Soccer, European Professional Club Rugby and music festivals across the US and UK.

According to the statement, IHG is set to grow its portfolio by a further 30 percent, with more than 1,800 hotels already in its development pipeline.

Formula Blue 2.0

Recently, IHG Hotels & Resorts opened more than 25 Holiday Inn Express properties featuring its Formula Blue 2.0 interior design across the U.S. and Canada.

It first released the Formula Blue design in 2014, bringing the now familiar trademark elements of open check-in, enclosed breakfast bar, and guest room refreshment zone to hotel owners and millions of travelers. Formula Blue has been the most popular design initiative in the brand’s 30-year history and is now in more than 1,200 hotels in North America.

ENEWS COVID 06 27 22 6000 club Blu combo IHG now has 25 Holiday Inn Express properties featuring its Formula Blue 2.0 interior design across the U.S. and Canada. Since its launch in 2014, the original Formula Blu is now in more than 1,200 hotels in North America. Pictured are the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Valencia-Santa Clarita in Valencia-Santa Clarita, California, owned by Neil Patel, and the Holiday Inn Express White Marsh in White Marsh, Maryland, owned by Keyur Patel.

“Holiday Inn Express is our fastest growing brand because of our focus on investing in a design and brand experience in areas where it matters most to guests. We’re focused on making design changes that, based on consumer insights, impact booking decisions and continue to offer great owner value," said Stephanie Atiase, vice president, Global Brand Head for Holiday Inn Express.

“I have owed hotels for 14 years and partnered with IHG for much of that time. In fact, one of our first hotels when my dad and I started our company was an IHG property. My Holiday Inn Express has performed strongly as an investment and is popular for travelers coming through the Valencia-Santa Clarita market," said Neil Patel, owner, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Valencia-Santa Clarita in Valencia-Santa Clarita, California. "Working with IHG to upgrade our property to the next iteration of the Formula Blue design was a great experience and I love welcoming guests into our new and improved spaces. As a regional owner, I really appreciate the cost savings aspect that Formula Blue 2.0 delivered without sacrificing the quality provided to the owner.”

Keyur Patel, owner of the Holiday Inn Express White Marsh in White Marsh, Maryland, said the hotel remains a more than just a business.

“Like many of my fellow owners, my brother Ketul and I grew up in the hotel business and it’s still a family business for us today. We built our very first Holiday Inn Express in 1999, and our strategy has always been to build and operate quality hotels," Keyur said. "My wife Heeral and I worked closely with the IHG team to incorporate the Formula Blue 2.0 design at the new White Marsh hotel and the results have been fantastic. Our favorite part is the public area which now has regionalized artwork done in a programmatic way. The entire design just feels better.”

More for you

ExStay Washington DC

Third regional ExStay workshop set for D.C.

Summary:

  • ESLA and Kalibri will hold the third ExStay workshop on July 30 in Washington, D.C., following sessions in Atlanta and Dallas.
  • The event will feature experts from brands, operators, data firms and advisory groups.
  • Sessions will cover investment and include Q&As on developing, renovating, converting and operating extended stay assets.

THE EXTENDED STAY Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs will host the third quarterly ExStay workshop on July 30 in Washington, D.C., following earlier sessions in Atlanta and Dallas. The event will bring together extended stay lodging executives for networking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deloitte value-seeking report 2025

Study: Consumers seek value over low prices

Summary:

  • Consumers are prioritizing value over low prices, pushing brands—including hotels—to adapt, Deloitte finds.
  • Economic uncertainty and inflation are driving caution and shifting views on pricing and spending.
  • Value-seeking by generations: 49 percent of Gen X, 43 percent of Boomers, 40 percent of Millennials and 44 percent of Gen Z.

AMID ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY and inflation, U.S. consumers are prioritizing value over low prices, favoring brands with added benefits, according to a Deloitte study. This shift is reshaping the market as companies, including hotels, adapt to changing expectations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gen Z Shifts Hotel Shopping: Tech, Experiences & Values

Survey: Gen Z redefines hotel shopping

Summary:

  • Younger consumers are redefining hotel discovery through platform-hopping and peer input, according to SOCi.
  • Fragmented search and discovery are reshaping how trust is built.
  • About one-third of consumers aged 18–34 report less brand loyalty than a year ago.

GEN Z IS RESHAPING hotel shopping through multiple platforms, peer input and real-time research, according to SOCi, a marketing platform for multi-location businesses. Unlike previous generations who relied on a single search engine or map app, the younger consumer moves through a series of smaller decisions - starting on TikTok, checking Reddit or Yelp and ending with a Google Maps search.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotel Tech Advances; Outpaces Operational Readiness

Report: Tech outpaces readiness in hotels

  • A gap is growing between technological potential and operational readiness, with many hotel teams still early in AI use.
  • Distribution teams are evolving with limited resources and uneven investment in talent and automation.
  • The report outlines how commercial teams in hospitality are managing transformation.

THERE IS A widening gap between technological potential and operational readiness, with many hotel staff still early in using AI effectively, according to “The State of Distribution 2025” report. Despite the availability of technology, training, systems and workflows remain in development.

The second edition of the industry benchmark report—published by NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and its Hospitality Innovation Hub, in collaboration with RateGain Travel Technologies and HEDNA—noted that as traveler expectations rise, aligning people, processes and platforms is becoming a driver of performance.

Keep ReadingShow less
G6 Hospitality RMS Program Powers Q1 2025 Growth

G6 RMS properties log 11 percent Q1 revenue gain

Summary
  • The G6 RMS program uses automation, comp tracking and strategy calls.
  • RMS properties saw 11 percent year-over-year revenue growth in Q1 and a 10 percent higher ADR.
  • Revenue-managed properties posted 11.5 percent growth through web and app channels.

PROPERTIES OF G6 Hospitality enrolled in its “G6 Revenue Management Services” program saw 11 percent year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter of 2025, more than double the rate of the rest of the portfolio. They also recorded a 10 percent higher ADR than non-RMS properties.

The RMS program uses proprietary automation tools, daily competitive set monitoring and bi-weekly strategy calls with revenue managers, G6 said in a statement. G6 is the parent company of Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands.

Keep ReadingShow less