IHG Hotels and Resorts is this week celebrating a major milestone of 60 years of its brands in Australia.
A series of celebratory events are scheduled to take place at its properties throughout the month of August and into the rest of the year and IHG will also feature a social media series with video messages from colleagues past and present to remember the people that have made the company what it is today.
“I am so proud to be celebrating an incredible milestone for a company that I love dearly, and has such a special place in the hearts of the many people who have been part of the journey over the 60 amazing years,” said IHG’s Managing Director for Japan, Australasia and Pacific, Leanne Harwood.
“This really is a wonderful time of celebration, reflection and excitement about the future as we come into our ‘Diamond Era’ for IHG.”
“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to lead IHG here in this market today, but there are so many who have been a part of our deep heritage and continued our pioneering spirit to pave the way before me. This anniversary is a chance for us to give back and say thank you. Thank you to our colleagues, thank you to owners, thank you to our past leaders and thank you to our loyal guests, who have been with us on this exciting journey.
Peak industry body the Accommodation Association congratulated IHG on hitting this important milestone.
“IHG and its portfolio of well known brands have been such an integral part of the Accommodation Sector’s growth and the reputation of our people for going above and beyond to deliver amazing experiences,” said Accommodation Association CEO, Richard Munro.
“At an organisational level, the Accommodation Association also benefits from the leadership of IHG Hotels and Resorts’ SVP Managing Director for Japan, Australasia and the Pacific, Leanne Harwood as our President. It’s an absolute delight to acknowledge and congratulate every single person who has played a role in IHG’s growth over the past 60 years in Australia.”
IHG through the decades
On August 14, 1962, the legendary InterContinental Southern Cross Hotel Melbourne opened its doors, becoming the first international hotel in the country. Introduced by US airline Pan Am, founder of the InterContinental brand, the luxurious American-style hotel attracted celebrities, royalty, and rockstars from Frank Sinatra to Princess Diana and The Beatles.
“We couldn’t wish for a more iconic property to have marked the launch of our long and impressive history in Australia and, while the Southern Cross Hotel may no longer with us, its legacy lives on in the iconic properties we continue to open with our owners today and we’re so very honoured to be celebrating this 60-year milestone with our colleagues, owners and guests,” Harwood said.
Over the decades that followed, the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands entered the Australian market and established properties in destinations such as Cairns, Cable Beach, Hamilton Island, Newcastle, Melbourne and Sydney.
Bass Hotels and Resorts acquired the Holiday Inn and InterContinental brands in the 1980s and ‘90s respectively, driving rapid growth of these brands in Australia. In 2000, Bass acquired Southern Pacific Hotels Corporation (SPHC), transitioning its Parkroyal and Centra brands, before spinning off its hotels business, which became known as Six Continents. In 2003 the business rebranded to InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and it finally became IHG Hotels and Resorts in 2021.
In what the company is calling its Diamond Age, IHG is enjoying its biggest ever period of organic growth. It now has 68 opened and signed hotels in Australia and 95 across the broader Australasia and Pacific region. These properties span eight brands and three Collections: InterContinental, Kimpton, Vignette Collection and Hotel Indigo in the Luxury and Lifestyle portfolio; voco and Crowne Plaza in the Premium portfolio; and Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express in the Essentials portfolio.