On the heels of its May agreement with Covivio to rebrand and operate 12 UK hotels, IHG on Thursday launched its Kimpton and new Voco hotel brand in the UK.
Nine of the 12 hotels joined IHG’s brand portfolio on Thursday and the remaining three are expected to be added in the coming weeks.
IHG will launch its boutique brand Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in the UK, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Principal London in Bloomsbury will be the first to convert later this year; The Principal Manchester, Principal Edinburgh and Principal Blythswood Square in Glasgow are set to convert in 2019.
This follows the signing of the first Kimpton in Japan, in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, last week as well as the signing of three properties in prime markets in South East Asia and Greater China last year. It also adds to Kimpton’s expansion in Europe, with the opening of Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam in 2017, the signing of Kimpton Paris, due to open in 2020 and Kimpton Frankfurt, due to open in 2023.
The recently launched upscale brand Voco Hotels will be making its UK debut in Cardiff, replacing The Principal St. David’s Hotel later this year. It is expected that further Voco hotels will be coming to the UK soon.
In addition, IHG announced InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will be returning to the historic Principal Edinburgh George Street, rebranding by late next year.
The Principal Met Leeds Hotel will debut the Hotel Indigo brand in 2020. The Principal York will be rebranded at a later stage; and the well-known De Vere Wotton House hotel, near Dorking Surrey, will capitalize on its strong name, operating unbranded as Wotton House.
The Principal Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow; De Vere Oxford Thames and The Principal Oxford Spires Hotel are expected to join IHG’s portfolio in Q3, 2018.