IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a portfolio agreement with long-term partner GCP Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Gaw Capital Group, to add 14 hotels in Kyoto.
The deal covers 1,063 rooms comprising 12 Garner hotels, one Holiday Inn Express, and one unbranded hotel. All properties will undergo phased openings over the next 12 months following renovation and rebranding. The agreement represents one of the largest conversion portfolio deals in Japan in recent years.
The expansion boosts IHG’s presence in Kyoto, adding to an existing portfolio that includes Six Senses Kyoto, ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto, Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo, and Garner Hotel Kyoto Shijo Karasuma. The properties are situated in primary districts, including areas around Kyoto Station, Shijo, and Gojo.
Commenting on the appointment, GCP Hospitality CEO Erwann Mahé said the firm was pleased to expand its partnership with IHG. He added that GCP Hospitality would manage the 14-hotel portfolio, leveraging IHG’s global scale and brand strength to reposition the properties in Kyoto.
Abhijay Sandilya, managing director, Japan & Micronesia, IHG Hotels & Resorts and CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, said: “Following the successful Garner brand launch in Japan around 18 months ago in Osaka, this deal demonstrates the growing interest from owners to rebrand hotels and benefit from quick access to IHG’s leading enterprise, including our marketing, technology and distribution platforms, and the scale of IHG One Rewards globally.
“We are just starting to tap into Garner’s full growth potential in Japan as the business hotel segment is under-penetrated by international brands.”
