Dive Brief:
- IHG Hotels & Resorts opened the first location of its new Garner hotel brand in Auburn, Washington, the company announced Tuesday.
- The full-service, midscale Garner Auburn – Seattle includes 95 rooms and will be managed by local company S1 Hospitality Management.
- The midscale property is the first of several planned openings for the conversion brand in the coming months. IHG expects to open more than 500 Garner hotels during the next 10 years as it capitalizes on increased interest in conversions.
Dive Insight:
Amenities at Garner Auburn – Seattle include a complimentary hot breakfast bar, a cookie “happy hour” and flavor-infused water at check-in. The property is near entertainment venues and business campuses in Auburn.
In a statement, S1 President Andy Cho said the Garner brand is “an ideal fit to capitalize on the growing potential in the midscale market, and we have no doubt this hotel will become both a leading choice for guests seeking a high-quality stay and a blueprint for future owners wanting a flexible conversion option.”
Jolyon Bulley, CEO – Americas at IHG, also highlighted the conversion model’s strength.
“The debut of Garner hotels less than three months after its launch speaks volumes about the hard work of our team to bring the brand to life, and the interest of owners to become part of a transformational conversion offering in the midscale space,” he said.
IHG has ambitious plans for Garner, including a global expansion to begin in 2024. The company said it expects to open 1,000 Garner hotels during the next 20 years in the U.S. alone.
IHG officially launched the brand in August. At the time of the launch, IHG said Garner was intended to offer guests an “affordable, amenity-rich” option while providing owners with higher returns.
The brand is the result of IHG’s conversations with owners, who expressed a desire to work with a conversion brand at a lower price point. Garner will offer a lower conversion cost per key for owners than IHG’s upper-midscale brand, Holiday Inn Express.
Conversion activity is currently high in the midscale segment, where lower opening and development costs make the model appealing to hotel owners.
