IHG Hotels & Resorts, developer Pro-invest Group and operator Connect Hospitality have announced the opening of voco Queenstown, marking the completion of the repositioning of the former Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown into IHG’s premium upscale voco brand.
First announced in February 2026, the conversion to voco aligns a centrally located, high-performing Queenstown asset with a premium brand proposition and capitalizes on demand for high-quality accommodation in the destination.
“The opening of voco Queenstown marks the next chapter for an asset and destination we have long believed in,” said Ronald Stephen Barrott FRICS, founder & chairman of Pro-invest Group. “Having developed, owned and actively managed the hotel since inception, the repositioning to voco represents a clear value enhancement, aligning the asset with premium demand and capitalizing on Queenstown’s sustained year-round performance.”
“Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s most dynamic hotel markets, and voco is a brand that is well suited to the destination,” said Matt Tripolone, MD, IHG Hotels & Resorts Australasia & Pacific. “The opening of voco Queenstown demonstrates the value that can be created when the right asset, the right market and the right brand come together. Working alongside our partners at Pro-invest Group and EVT Connect Hospitality, we’ve repositioned an already successful hotel to better meet evolving guest expectations while creating long-term value.
“We’re excited to introduce New Zealand’s second voco hotel, following the brand’s debut in Auckland, and welcome guests to experience everything this exceptional destination has to offer.”
“Connect Hospitality’s strength lies in combining deep local operating expertise with global brand delivery,” said Mat Duff, EVT director of Commercial and Connect Hospitality. “At voco Queenstown, our focus is on executing consistently at a high standard, creating distinctive guest experiences, and embedding the hotel within the local market to ensure the voco brand resonates in a way that’s both authentic to Queenstown and true to its global positioning.”
The transition involved a refurbishment of 227 guestrooms and suites led by Space Studios and a redesign of the lobby and food and beverage spaces. Voco Queenstown joins properties in Auckland, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Hunter Valley and Darwin. Globally, voco has surpassed 100 open hotels.