IHG Says It Now Has More Than 1,000 Open Hotels Across Europe

IHG Hotels & Resorts announced in London on 22 October that it has passed 1,000 open hotels in Europe, a milestone that Karin Sheppard, who leads IHG in Europe, called “a defining moment for IHG”. According to the group’s press release, it has added more than 210 hotels in Europe over the past three years, an increase of over 25% in its European system.

The company said more than 280 further hotels are in its European pipeline. Karin Sheppard, IHG’s senior vice president and managing director for Europe, credited brand strength, owner trust, hotel teams and guest loyalty for the growth.

New Brands in New Countries

IHG said that since the start of 2024, 36 individual brand openings have taken place in European countries where that brand was previously absent, a count that excludes Ruby. Recent debuts include Iceland, Sweden and Greece. The group has also widened its brand range, acquiring Ruby and launching Noted Collection as its 21st brand, with seven signings for it worldwide, according to the release.

The announcement highlighted three recent openings. The Hari London, part of Vignette Collection, is an 85-room hotel in Belgravia, and IHG said Vignette now has 13 open hotels and 16 in the pipeline in Europe. Ruby Lilou in Marseille is the Ruby brand’s first hotel in France, between the Vieux Port and La Joliette. Crowne Plaza Vienna has 195 guest rooms in the Margareten district and was designed by architect David Chipperfield; IHG said Crowne Plaza has 98 open hotels in Europe and 21 in its pipeline.

The Wider Context

The release placed the milestone against strong demand for European travel, citing UN Tourism data that Europe received about 793 million international arrivals in 2025. IHG also said its IHG One Rewards loyalty programme has more than 160 million members, the release said.

Why It Matters

Europe is a mature, fragmented hotel market where independent and small-chain owners increasingly weigh whether to join a global brand. A group crossing 1,000 hotels, with a pipeline of more than 280, suggests that owners still see value in franchise networks, loyalty programmes and shared booking systems. The range of brands, from Vignette Collection to Crowne Plaza and Ruby, also shows how operators are trying to cover several guest segments at once. Because the figures come from the company itself, they describe IHG’s own ambitions rather than an independent measure of the wider market.