IHG Hotels & Resorts has just announced another new midscale hotel brand which the chain is calling Garner. Along with guest freebies like hot breakfasts, all-day coffee, and infused water, IHG is also hoping the Garner brand will provide owners with higher returns at a lower price point.
Mid-scale conversion brand hotels have grown in popularity in recent years, appealing to budget-conscious travelers and property owners who can quickly rebrand an existing hotel to take advantage of a global chain’s marketing and distribution network.
Garner is IHG’s new brand to appeal to value-conscious travelers of all ages, but it was built on the feedback and insight of hotel owners who wanted to enter the mid-scale market at a lower price point.
“Owners are attracted to the benefits of IHG’s global scale, strong enterprise, technology platforms and leading IHG One Rewards programme, supported by our proven success in developing, launching and growing brands,” commented Elie Maalouf, IHG’s CEO.
“We have already received more than 100 definitive expressions of interest in Garner, which demonstrates the strong potential in the segment,” Maalouf continued.
IHG will define exactly how much work owners have to put into converting their existing property into a Garner-branded hotel, but the chain says it will take a “flexible approach” to conversions and will evaluate the level of renovation required on a property-by-property basis.
For hotel guests, IHG is promising “a great night’s sleep in a clean, comfortable space” along with a complimentary hot breakfast, flavour-infused water on arrival and fresh coffee.
The first Garner hotels could come online by the end of the year, with franchise applications ready to be accepted as early as next month. Within the next 10 years, IHG has ambitious plans to grow the brand to more than 500 hotels within the United States alone.
Within 20 years, Garner could have grown to around 1,000 hotels, and there’s plenty of reason to see why IHG thinks the brand will be such a massive success. According to IHG, the midscale segment is already worth $14 billion in the US alone and is expected to grow to $18 billion in value within the next seven years.
