IHG Hotels & Resorts is accelerating the expansion of its newest midscale brand, Garner, across Europe. The lodging giant has signed four new Garner hotels, which will help the brand add locations in Germany, Netherlands, Austria, U.K. and Turkey.
Launched in August 2023, Garner is a midscale conversion brand which opened its inaugural hotel in Auburn, Wash. within three months of the brand’s announcement. Emphasizing on “ease and simplicity,” Garner is growing across markets and has signed 79 properties since the brand was launched. Currently, Garner has four open hotels.
Aiming to open at convenient locations, Garner targets an affordable price point and offers complimentary hot breakfast. When it launched in 2023, IHG was planning to reach 500 hotels in 10 years and 1,000 properties in the next 20 years in the U.S. alone.
The U.K. and Ireland
- Garner Hotel Reading Centre is slated to open later this year, following refurbishments in partnership with Nilvip Hotels. Situated in a central location in Reading, the hotel is close to the city’s commercial hubs, shopping areas and transport links.
- Garner Hotel Preston Samlesbury will open doors later this year and feature 80 rooms in collaboration with KRO Hospitality. Situated close to the M6 motorway, the hotel will offer easy access to guests exploring Northwest of England.
Northern Europe
- In Germany, Garner will be adding over 50 hotels, as part of IHG’s long-term agreement with NOVUM Hospitality inked earlier this year. These hotels, converted from NOVUM’s Yggotel, Select Hotels and Novum hotel brands, will start opening doors this year, with some of the first properties set to open in Hamburg (Garner Hotel Hamburg Nord), Mannheim (Garner Hotel Mannheim City) and Berlin (Garner Hotel Berlin – Mitte).
- As part of the agreement with NOVUM, Garner will venture into Vienna (with a 106-key hotel) and in Maastricht in the Netherlands (with a 165-room hotel).
- An additional Garner hotel has been signed in Germany with NOVUM. The 245-key hotel will open in Hamburg’s Usedomstrasse.
Southern Europe
- Garner is stepping into Turkey with an 126-key hotel in Istanbul, which is scheduled to open in 2025. The hotel was signed in partnership with FRT Turizm and supported by AB Consulting led by Ahmet Bilgin. Situated near the International Istanbul Airport, the hotel will cater to transient travelers.
“We are delighted by the rapid expansion of Garner and the interest shown by our partners in this exciting new brand. We know our owners seek stronger returns on investments with an ability to reduce pre-opening costs by quickly moving to operational and now-open status, which is exactly what Garner delivers,” said Willemijn Geels, vice president, development, Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Hotel owners benefit from a quicker access to IHG’s enterprise, including the group’s digital capabilities, global sales organization and distribution systems and loyalty program, Geels said, adding that guests value the “increasingly value straightforward; no-fuss stays.”
There’s been an increasing interest in conversion opportunities, which highlights the demand for access to IHG’s enterprise platform, including its revenue-generating systems and marketing and loyalty program, IHG said in a release.
Conversion activity worldwide in the first six months of this year represented 41% of openings and 55% of signings, IHG said.