IHG Hotels & Resorts has concluded 2025 with a series of strategic expansions across the Australasia & Pacific region that position the global hospitality group for accelerated growth in the luxury and premium hotel segments. The year’s achievements reflect a calculated approach to market development that balances new property signings, high-profile partnerships and strengthened community engagement.
The hotel group secured multiple landmark agreements throughout 2025, extending its footprint across both metropolitan centres and emerging regional markets. Key signings included InterContinental Brisbane, InterContinental Barossa Resort & Spa, Crowne Plaza Parramatta and Crowne Plaza Maroochydore. Additional properties joining the portfolio were Holiday Inn Townsville, voco Darwin Suites and Kimpton Mayfair Adelaide.
The centrepiece of IHG’s expansion strategy emerged in May through a long-term partnership with investment firm Salter Brothers. Valued at more than one billion dollars, the agreement will reposition several properties within IHG’s luxury brands portfolio and mark the return of Regent Hotels & Resorts to Australia after a 28-year absence. Regent Melbourne is scheduled to open in 2030 following the transformation of InterContinental Melbourne the Rialto.
IHG opened several anticipated properties during 2025, including the company’s first dual-branded Australian property combining Holiday Inn Bourke Street Mall and Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins. Additional launches included Crowne Plaza Sydney Airport, Crowne Plaza Sydney Macquarie Park and voco Gosford. Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton was scheduled to open late in the year, with Crowne Plaza Geelong and Crowne Plaza Shell Cove Marina planned for early 2026.
A significant strategic partnership materialised through IHG’s role as official hotel partner for the British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia. The collaboration, building on IHG’s two-decade relationship with Rugby Australia, connected the hotel group with one of 2025’s largest international sporting events. The partnership generated engagement across both hemispheres through stadium activations, fan zone experiences and exclusive offerings for IHG One Rewards members.
The tour attracted more than 40,000 international visitors alongside substantial domestic attendance across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney test matches. IHG properties hosted teams, officials and supporters throughout the six-week tour, whilst the partnership delivered exclusive experiences ranging from platinum match tickets to behind-the-scenes access. The collaboration reflected IHG’s broader strategy of aligning with premium sporting properties that deliver both brand visibility and member engagement opportunities.
Beyond commercial expansion, IHG maintained focus on corporate responsibility initiatives through its Journey to Tomorrow commitment. The hotel group’s long-standing partnership with OzHarvest and KiwiHarvest advanced community food security programmes across Australia and New Zealand. The fourth annual Stay for Good campaign contributed to IHG’s target of delivering one million meals through food rescue and education programmes by the end of 2025. According to data provided by the company, these initiatives supported 144,404 meals across both countries, addressing rising food insecurity through coordinated food rescue operations and hospitality training programmes including OzHarvest’s Nourish initiative.
The strategic developments position IHG with 76 operational hotels across Australasia spanning nine brands, from Six Senses through to Holiday Inn Express. An additional 26 properties sit within the development pipeline, indicating sustained expansion momentum heading into 2026. The breadth of brand offerings enables IHG to address diverse market segments whilst maintaining operational scale across the region.
Industry analysts note that IHG’s strategic focus on luxury conversions and premium repositioning aligns with broader accommodation sector trends. As corporate travel patterns stabilise and leisure demand for differentiated experiences increases, hotel groups with established global platforms and diverse brand portfolios are positioned to capture market share through strategic property upgrades rather than solely new-build developments.
The partnership model with Salter Brothers demonstrates how established hotel operators can leverage long-term relationships with investment firms to unlock value through brand repositioning. For Salter Brothers, the agreement provides access to IHG’s global distribution systems, loyalty programmes and operational expertise whilst enabling portfolio optimisation across multiple properties simultaneously.
Looking ahead to 2026, IHG faces opportunities and challenges common across the hospitality sector. Continued property openings will test operational capacity and brand standards maintenance during rapid expansion. The successful execution of luxury conversions, particularly the Regent Melbourne transformation, will be closely watched by industry observers as a test case for premium brand repositioning within heritage buildings.
The company’s integrated approach combining property expansion, strategic partnerships and community initiatives reflects broader shifts in how global hospitality groups balance commercial growth with stakeholder expectations around social impact. For senior leaders in adjacent sectors, IHG’s 2025 trajectory offers insights into scaling service businesses through partnerships, brand portfolio management and the strategic value of cause-related programmes in building long-term brand equity.
