IHG Launches Bold New Vision to Dominate the Upper Midscale Hotel Market in China
Nikhil Prasad 
Hotel News: In a sweeping move aimed at reshaping the hospitality landscape in Greater China, IHG Hotels & Resorts has unveiled a bold and comprehensive strategic overhaul of its four key upper-midscale hotel brands – Atwell Suites, EVEN Hotels, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express. As the Chinese hotel industry undergoes a transformative evolution driven by rising guest expectations and a growing appetite for investment efficiency, IHG’s revamped strategy aims to deliver not only refreshed branding but also smarter operational models and enhanced owner returns.
(Clockwise from top left: Atwell Suites, EVEN Hotels, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn)
Image Credit: IHG
This Hotel News report reveals that IHG’s initiative is centered on redefining how hotel brands operate and generate value in one of the world’s most dynamic markets. According to Kent Sun, Chief Development Officer of IHG Greater China, the regional hospitality industry is now in a “golden window of opportunity” as it transitions from rapid expansion to quality-focused growth. With the upper-midscale segment expected to double in size within the next decade, hotel owners are increasingly seeking lower-entry investment models that still offer consistency, performance, and profitability. IHG’s strategy meets this demand head-on, providing brand flexibility, investment scalability, and tailored support that balances local insight with global standards.
Redefining the Core Four Brands
At the heart of this strategy lies a deep re-calibration of the brand identities and market positioning of IHG’s “Core Four” brands. Each is uniquely designed to cater to distinct consumer expectations and investment objectives:
Atwell Suites blends modern aesthetics with local cultural inspiration, offering travelers a seamless “home away from home” experience. With its debut in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou planned for this year, Atwell Suites is set to appeal to lifestyle-oriented guests seeking long-stay comfort with elevated design sensibilities.
EVEN Hotels will continue to position itself as the go-to brand for wellness-conscious travelers, emphasizing healthy living, nutritious dining options, and serene spaces designed for rest and rejuvenation.
Holiday Inn evolves into a more socially engaging experience hub, where guests can form meaningful emotional connections in vibrant communal areas.
Holiday Inn Express, meanwhile, will focus on quick and convenient stays, optimized for today’s time-sensitive travelers who want to recharge and restart with minimal hassle.
All four brands are now backed by a re-engineered cost structure aimed at increasing investment value while reducing development and operational burdens. This repositioning is aligned with the needs of a maturing market that values high performance over pure scale.
Four Pillars of Strategic Empowerment
To support this large-scale transformation, IHG has introduced a four-dimensional framework designed to empower investors at every stage of their development journey. These pillars include:
1. Cost-Efficient Construction
IHG recognizes that hotel development is often plagued by unclear designs, construction delays, and ballooning costs. To address this, the company launched the IHG Design & Innovation Lab in Greater China – a comprehensive showroom that streamlines decision-making and showcases modular, standardized, and productized design packages. This approach not only cuts down on architectural ambiguity and construction timelines but also ensures that build quality meets both local competitive standards and IHG’s global expectations.
2. Smart Operations
Efficiency is further enhanced by incorporating advanced digital systems from the earliest stages of development. These systems shape future labor structures and ensure a seamless guest journey. Key features include AI-powered operators, IHG Studio for in-room entertainment, mobile room management tools, and delivery robots. With unified deployment and local sourcing, IHG maximizes operational consistency while keeping technological costs in check.
3. Revenue Growth
Leveraging its powerful loyalty engine, IHG One Rewards – which boasts over 145 million global members – provides hoteliers access to a pool of high-value, repeat guests. Meanwhile, IHG’s digital presence is tightly integrated with major Chinese travel platforms, ensuring dual-channel acquisition from both international and domestic markets. Tailored roadshows and targeted marketing campaigns amplify each brand’s visibility and revenue-generating potential.
4. Procurement Support
Through its digital procurement platform, IHG ensures that hotel owners retain full purchasing autonomy while benefiting from centralized oversight. This platform allows for real-time price comparisons, transparent supplier engagement, and customizable procurement aligned with brand standards. IHG further supports owners with flexible financial solutions such as leasing, bank factoring, and co-investment in sustainable infrastructure – providing crucial capital relief during the investment phase.
Flexible Partnership Models for Modern Investors
In a bid to align operational control with investment comfort, IHG is now offering three distinct partnership models:
-Managed Model: Full operational support with centralized management.
-Franchise Model: Owner-operated model with ongoing brand support.
-Franchise+ Model: An innovative local design that starts with IHG deploying a General Manager to ensure operational stability before transitioning to owner-led management. This model, introduced in 2016, has gained significant traction among Chinese investors for its balance of control and assurance.
With over five decades of experience in Greater China, IHG is leveraging its legacy and regional know-how to build enduring partnerships that reflect local expectations and global benchmarks.
Brand Refreshes and New Horizons
As part of this transformation, EVEN Hotels, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express will undergo wide-ranging brand refreshes. Updates will span room designs, visual branding, amenities, and service experiences. These changes are more than cosmetic – they reflect a fundamental shift toward aligning guest experience with current lifestyle trends.
Atwell Suites, the newest entrant, aims to capture a unique niche in the long-stay and lifestyle market. Its debut in key urban centers underscores IHG’s intention to lead, not follow, in the upper-midscale segment.
By investing in brand integrity, operational innovation, and owner empowerment, IHG is staking a claim as the preferred partner for modern hotel investors looking to thrive in China’s evolving tourism and business travel ecosystem.
Conclusions
IHG’s ambitious overhaul of its upper-midscale strategy in Greater China is not just a reactive move to changing market conditions – it’s a forward-thinking reinvention designed to set new standards for hotel investment, design, and operation in the region. As consumer behavior shifts toward meaningful travel experiences and owners demand smarter, lower-risk models, IHG has created a blueprint that prioritizes agility, profitability, and localized excellence.
This strategy is particularly relevant at a time when the global hotel industry is being reshaped by technological integration, rising guest expectations, and heightened competition. By focusing on core brand identity, cost optimization, and scalable operations, IHG is ensuring that its offerings remain not only competitive but also future-proof. The result is a business model that benefits owners, delights guests, and strengthens IHG’s positioning in one of the world’s most promising hospitality markets.
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