IHG Hotels & Resorts is set to double its presence in Germany to more than 200 hotels in almost 100 cities.
The hotel group has signed a 30-year agreement with NOVUM Hospitality, one of Germany’s largest private hotel operators. NOVUM Hospitality operates 111 properties are in Germany, with the remaining eight in Austria, the Netherlands and the UK.
The agreement will see 108 of NOVUM’s hotels and an additional 11 under development join IHG’s system by 2028. The conversion of these hotels will begin this year and happen in phases, with the hotel group stating that the majority will take place over the next 24 months. Ultimately, this will increase IHG’s global system size by up to 1.9 per cent.
As part of the agreement, IHG’s Holiday Inn will be combined with NOVUM’s ‘the niu’ brand, with 52 open and pipeline hotels committed to the new ‘Holiday Inn – the niu’ co-brand.
NOVUM’s the niu is described as featuring “individually designed hotels inspired by their location, urban art and pop culture”. IHG has already launched a website for the new brand, and states that Holiday Inn – the niu will be added to the IHG Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn websites as well as the IHG One Rewards program in the coming months.
IHG’s conversion brand, Garner, and extended stay brand, Candlewood Suites, will also debut in Europe as a result of the agreement. NOVUM’s 56 open and pipeline hotels across its Yggotel, Select and Novum brands will convert to Garner, while the 11 acora Living the City hotels will become Candlewood Suites.
Under the agreement, IHG will receive franchise fees after the phased conversion of existing properties and upon the opening of the hotels under development.
Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented on the news:
“We are delighted to collaborate with such a respected group as NOVUM Hospitality and double IHG’s presence in Germany, one of Europe’s largest hotel markets and a growth priority for our business. This agreement demonstrates the appeal to owners of our powerful enterprise and IHG’s success in attracting excellent conversion opportunities to grow our system size. It also creates a strong domestic German platform to increase demand and brand awareness, as well as capture a larger share of the millions of outbound trips made each year across Europe and beyond.”
David Etmenan, CEO and Owner, NOVUM Hospitality, added:
“Partnering with IHG, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, equips our family-run business with the firepower needed to fortify our market presence across Europe. This collaboration enables us to concentrate on delivering exceptional hotel experiences while leveraging the globally acclaimed brand recognition of IHG.”
Elsewhere, IHG Hotels & Resorts has also expanded in the Asia Pacific region, reaching 1,012 open hotels.
IHG grows footprint in Asia-Pacific to more than 1,000 open hotels