If further proof were needed that hotel conversions are the most prolific way for hotel groups to grow, the Garner brand has just provided it. Launched in August 2023 by the IHG group, this mid-range brand, adapted to business travellers with work spaces in rooms and common areas, has passed the 100-establishment mark, with a presence in 12 countries. " Garner's initial success is a testament to IHG's proven expertise in building and deploying large-scale, conversion-ready brands that owners and customers trust. "Karen Gilbride, Global Vice President of Garner Hotels at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
By 2025, more than half of the hotels opened by the British group will have been through conversions, so this model is a guarantee of accelerated growth. some establishments completing high-quality conversions in just over a month from signature to opening "says the British group. While the Voco brand, positioned at the top end of the market, has demonstrated the effectiveness of this strategy, having just opened the largest of its 124 hotels worldwide in New York, near Times Square, Garner is continuing along this path.
Germany, Garner's first market
But the rapid growth of the Garner brand also owes a great deal to the agreement concluded in Germany with Novum Hospitality, concerning the transfer of its hundred or so establishments to one or other of the IHG group's brands. Under this agreement, 56 properties will become, or in some cases have already become, Garner hotels. The Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa (EMEAA) region is also where the brand is most represented, with 43 hotels by the end of 2025.
Germany was joined by the first Garner hotels in Italy - the Hotel Rome, in Turkey with the Garner Hotel Istanbul - Airport Arnavutköy, and in the UK with the Hotel Preston Samlesbury. Other Garner hotels have recently opened in Lincoln, Rotherham East and Chesterfield North, all close to major road junctions and business and leisure areas.
Across the Atlantic, the brand had 23 establishments at the end of last year, in addition to 32 signed projects. Since the start of the year, Garner has established itself in the suburbs of Boston and in the greater New York area, and its offer now covers secondary destinations in some twenty American states. All this is in addition to a presence in Mexico with the Garner Hotel Mazatlán Beach.
At the same time, the mid-range brand is also expanding in Asia, making its debut in Japan last year, with three openings in Osaka and one in Tokyo, as well as in Thailand, in Pattaya. India is also preparing to welcome its first five hotels, while the brand will be rolling out in Greater China later this year. After the 100 mark, the 200 mark is on the horizon, with Garner boasting a global pipeline of nearly 80 hotels. As for France, no plans have yet been announced.
