Articles tagged “ihg”

As legacy hotel groups continue to build and buy boutique hotel brands, they're commoditizing the entire sector.

How much will the InterContinental Hotels Group mess with the Kimpton brand? The fact that IHG officials say they aren't ready to address the future of the Kimpton Karma Rewards loyalty program raises a proverbial red flag.

Kimpton has a very loyal group of customers, all of whom hope the new big-box owner IHG doesn't mess with their beloved brand or, more importantly, its loyalty program. But little chance that stays untouched in the medium to long term.

Boutique and lifestyle properties are the hottest segment in the hotel industry and with the acquisition IHG gets a foothold for an enhanced position in the segment.

Robots won't "free up" human talent as much as they will replace it when they prove to be more labor efficient and cost effective.

Lifestyle brands get all the love, but in the case of InterContinental Hotels Group, its six-decade old Holiday Inn brand family is the group's growth engine.

By placing large gyms just off the lobbies, streamlining the guest experience at every touchpoint, and anchoring the brand mission in wellness, EVEN Hotels could inspire more people to actually workout.

Marriages between major, global hotel groups would indeed be tremendously complex, but they are certainly not out of the question. Wyndham reportedly thought that a tie-up with InterContinental Hotels would be very practical.

The claim that Airbnb has taken some demand away from major hotel groups is indisputable, but the significance and depth of its long-term impact on the industry is yet to be determined.

InterContinental Hotels is savvy to recognize that it needs to go beyond the low-hanging fruit of converting lookers into bookers, and needs to be involved in earlier and later phases of the guest journey. Amadeus has experience with some of these things on the airline side of things, but it remains to be seen how effective it will translate into hotels.