IHG Hotels and Resorts is set to bring its new Garner brand to Japan later this year.
This marks the first deal outside of North America for the midscale conversion brand, which launched in August 2023 and opened its first property in Seattle at the end of last year.
IHG has signed a letter of intent with Axe Management Partners for three conversion hotels in Osaka, which will undergo refurbishment before rebranding as Garner in the second half of 2024.
The three hotels are located in the centre of Osaka, close to Midosuji shopping street and the entertainment area of Dotonbori, as well as Honmachi metro station, which is served by three lines and sees an average of 180,000 passengers per day.
Additionally, Kansai International and Itami airports are located an hour from the properties, while Yumeshima Island – the host of the 2025 World Expo – is just 25 minutes’ away.
The hotel group says that the refurbishment will include improvements to the “guest arrival experience, common spaces, lounge and cafe”, as well as a refresh of the guest rooms “that includes design, lighting, bedding and bathroom amenities”.
Once open, the hotels will offer amenities such as digital check-in (where available), a welcome gift on arrival, wifi, complimentary fresh coffee in the lobby, breakfast facilities and a 24/7 Garner Shop which offers grab-and-go products.
Guests will also be able to earn and use IHG One Rewards points when staying at the property, with benefits including late check-out and room upgrades.
Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Hotels and Resorts, commented:
“The first Garner LOI signing outside of North America is a significant milestone for the brand, and one we are very excited about. Japan is well-known for its high-quality domestic midscale hotels, and we think Garner is the perfect brand to help take them to a global stage with IHG’s powerful systems, world-class technology, market leading operations support and award-winning IHG One Rewards loyalty program. I’m proud to be here in Japan to mark this announcement, and would like to thank the ownership group for their confidence in the future of Japanese tourism, as well as for their faith in IHG and the new Garner brand.”
The deal will see more than 500 rooms added to IHG’s portfolio in Japan, with the group comprising 54 open or pipeline hotels across the country. Within Osaka alone, IHG will have ten hotels across the luxury, premium and essentials segments.
Meanwhile, IHG plans to add several Garner properties in the coming months, and is targeting 500 hotels under the brand in the next ten years, and 1,000 in the next 20 years.
