Hotel collections, designed to house independent hotels with character, are all the rage. IHG has proved this once again with the launch of a new luxury brand, Vignette Collectiona luxury and lifestyle brand. Its arrival in IHG's offering had already been mentioned at the beginning of August during the presentation of the group's latest half-year results.
With the current crisis, owners of independent hotels and small chains are increasingly attracted by the commercial power of the global leaders, whether it be their distribution system or the tens of millions of members of their loyalty programme. Conversion is one of today's major trends of hotel development, and IHG was able to experience this first-hand with the highly successful launch of Voco. Positioned a notch below the new Vignette Collection brand, i.e. in the top end of the market, this brand has made a major breakthrough. 50 hotels worldwide in just two years of existence.
If the IHG group adds a new string to its bow to attract these hoteliers in search of strategic support, the Vignette Collection further enhances the luxury offering of the British group. Alongside its flagship InterContinental brand, its portfolio of luxury hotels has been greatly enhanced in recent years by acquisitions, including Six Senses and Regent recently and Kimpton Hotels a few years ago. " We have been strategic in making improvements to our luxury and lifestyle portfolio over the last few years, which, with over 400 hotels and 100,000 rooms, is the second largest in the sector." said Keith Barr, CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts.
La Vignette Collection intends to build on this momentum by focusing on exclusive properties in urban and resort locations. Among the first hotels to join the Vignette CollectionTwo have already been announced: Hotel X, a five-star design and arty hotel in Brisbane, Australia, and a resort, Pattaya Aquatique, in Thailand. IHG is counting on more than a hundred hotels Vignette Collection members within 10 years.
