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IHG One Rewards members will soon have more reasons to visit the Land of the Rising Sun — 14 more, to be exact. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a landmark deal to convert 14 hotels in Kyoto, one of Japan’s most beloved tourist destinations, over the next year.
The 1,063-room portfolio includes 12 Garner hotels (a midscale conversion brand within IHG’s portfolio), a Holiday Inn Express and an unbranded hotel. All properties are located in “key districts in Kyoto,” according to a press release, “ensuring guests are close to major transport hubs and some of the city’s most popular cultural and tourism attractions.”
The deal — one of the largest of its kind that Japan has seen in recent years — is another step in Garner’s already-rapid growth. The brand, which launched only three years ago, recently celebrated opening its 100th hotel globally.
The deal also further solidifies IHG’s longstanding partnership with GCP Hospitality (the hospitality arm of Gaw Capital Group), which has been appointed to lead the management team of the 14 new additions.
IHG already boasts a varied portfolio in Kyoto, with properties ranging from budget-friendly Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo and midscale Garner Hotel Kyoto Shijo Karasuma to the premium ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto and ultra-luxurious Six Senses Kyoto. The 14-hotel conversion is set to position IHG as a major international player in Kyoto’s hotel landscape, which has historically been dominated by domestic operators.
Abhijay Sandilya, Managing Director, Japan & Micronesia, IHG Hotels & Resorts and CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, said, “this deal demonstrates the growing interest from owners to rebrand hotels and benefit from quick access to IHG’s leading enterprise, including our marketing, technology and distribution platforms, and the scale of IHG One Rewards globally.”
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After renovations and rebranding, the 14 properties are slated for phased openings over the next 12 months — and we hope they will be available to book through IHG One Rewards soon after.
