IHG Hotels & Resorts

IHG Hotels & Resorts (InterContinental Hotels Group) is a British multinational hospitality company and one of the world's largest hotel groups by room count. Headquartered in Windsor, Berkshire, England, IHG operates over 6,800 hotels with more than 825,000 rooms globally under 19 distinct brands spanning luxury, lifestyle, premium, essentials, and suites segments.

The company's roots trace back to 1777 with the founding of Bass Brewery, but its modern hospitality identity emerged through strategic acquisitions of Holiday Inn International (1988), InterContinental Hotels (1998), and later Kimpton Hotels (2015) and Ruby Hotels (2024). IHG formally separated as an independent hospitality company in April 2003 when it spun off from Six Continents PLC.

IHG pioneered the 'asset-light' business model in hospitality, systematically selling owned properties to focus on franchising and management contracts. Since 2003, the company sold approximately 200 hotels for nearly $8 billion, leaving only a handful of owned properties while dramatically expanding its managed and franchised portfolio.

Under CEO Elie Maalouf's leadership since July 2023, IHG delivered excellent financial performance in 2024 with revenues of $4.92 billion (up 6.47% year-over-year), returning over $1 billion to shareholders. The company signed a record 714 hotels into its pipeline (34% increase year-over-year) and opened 371 new properties. IHG One Rewards, the hospitality industry's first and longest-standing loyalty program (originally Priority Club Rewards, launched 1983), boasts over 145 million members who book 60% of all room nights.