InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is planning to open multiple dual-branded hotel developments across the U.S., with the first to debut in Atlanta this week. 


The 501-room Hotel Melia will convert to a Crowne Plaza hotel and will immediately undergo a total renovation to a 360-room hotel. By January 2016, the property will open a 102-room Staybridge Suites hotel within the same building. Other development plans for dual-branded IHG hotels include a Holiday Inn and Candlewood Suites hotel in Joliet, Illinois; a Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites hotel in San Diego; and an IHG-managed Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn Express in Austin.
“IHG’s track record remains strong. We are well-placed to grow market share with a high-quality pipeline and through continued innovative guest offerings including dual-branded properties,” says Kirk Kinsell, president for the Americas under IHG. “These hotels are ideal for urban and suburban destinations alike and we are excited that one is opening right here in Atlanta.”
The dual-branded model allows for operating efficiencies yet doesn’t compromise the offerings from each IHG brand. While they typically share the same building structure or services such as fitness centers, pools, and F&B facilities, some back-of-the-house operations may also be shared or separate.
“Dual-branded hotels are attractive for our owners because they are able to achieve construction cost savings, through shared facilities such as meeting space, swimming pools, fitness facilities and back-of-house areas, as well as operational savings, through shared services,” says Joel Eisemann, chief development officer for the Americas under IHG. “With a dual-branded property, our owners are able to cater to many different stay occasions in the same location while generating a more profitable bottom line.”
