IHG Hotels and Resorts has signed a multi-property development agreement with Grape Hospitality for five conversion properties in Europe.
The signings include the debut of the group’s Voco brand in Spain, with the 193-room Voco Madrid Centre Retiro set to open in April 2024. The city of Madrid will also see the arrival of the 168-room Crowne Plaza Madrid Centre Retiro in the same month, marking the second property under the brand to open in Madrid.
Further signings include the 160-room Hotel Indigo Florence, which will open later this year and include conference facilities and a wellness centre. It will be a two minute walk from Santa Maria Novella, the city’s main railway station, and close to attractions including the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio bridge.
This will be followed by the Hotel Indigo Bordeaux in May 2023, marking the third under the brand in France, and the 189-room Hotel Indigo Barcelona Gran Via Plaza Espana in April 2024.
Willemijn Geels, VP development Europe at IHG Hotels and Resorts, said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with Grape Hospitality on such a strong collection of hotels across some of our key European markets of Spain, France and Italy. This partnership further highlights the strength of IHG’s much-loved brands and reputation, our desire to expand into new locations and our ongoing initiatives to improve the customer journey such as the recently enhanced IHG One Rewards programme.”
Frederic Josenhans, chairman of Grape Hospitality, added:
“Grape Hospitality continues its development in Europe with the acquisition of premium assets. We are delighted to work with IHG in addition to our brands, to create value and diversify our portfolio. With Indigo, Voco hotels and Crowne Plaza, all strong brands in their segment, we will be able to develop our catering and MICE expertise and make each hotel a unique living space.”
The Voco brand currently has 15 open hotels in Europe, following recent openings in Dusseldorf and Italy. Meanwhile, the Hotel Indigo brand has 40 open hotels in Europe, with a further 19 in the pipeline, and Crowne Plaza has 88 open hotels, including the recently opened Crowne Plaza Budapest.
