IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced a slate of voco hotels properties across its European markets as the premium collection brand maintains its fast-paced growth with new signings, recent and forthcoming openings.
With recent signings and openings in France, Spain, the UK & Ireland, Austria, Portugal, and Belgium, these additions take Europe’s voco hotels total number of opened and signed properties to 37 as at 30-Sep-2023 (including two pipeline hotels which are IHG rebrands), up from 28 at the end of 2022, marking more than a 25% increase in ten months.
voco is one of IHG’s fastest-growing brands
First launched in 2018, voco hotels is one of IHG’s fastest-growing brands with more than 100 properties signed and opened globally. The incoming flurry of properties will bring the brand closer to its global ambition of reaching 200 properties in leading urban and leisure locations by 2028.
Each voco hotels property that gets added to the IHG portfolio “is a real sign of the confidence from our owners across multiple markets in the brand,” says Mrs Willemijn Geels, VP Development, Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
voco hotels are proving popular due to a design and operational framework conducive to conversion, which empowers owners to carry through their own unique visions for their property.
“Guests enjoy the individual character and local charm of each hotel, and the speed at which the brand is growing in these popular markets is great proof of its successful formula,” adds Mrs Geels.
New voco signings in United Kingdom and Spain, including brand debut in Belfast
Among the new openings and marking a significant milestone in the brand’s expansion, the new voco Belfast will be a brand debut in Northern Ireland. The hotel is scheduled to open its doors in early 2024 in partnership with Cliste Hospitality – it will feature 120 rooms and has a prime location in the city centre.
Elsewhere in the UK, the 87 key voco Letchworth Hall property takes home in 2024 in a venue built by Sir William Lytton around the year 1620 and set across eight acres of grounds overlooking Letchworth Golf Club in the Hertfordshire countryside, just to the north of London.
Meanwhile, voco Zeal Exeter Science Park will be IHG’s first lifecycle net zero carbon hotel. Scheduled to open in early 2025 close to the picturesque southwest English city of Exeter, the 142-key hotel has been designed to align with the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition of the UK Green Building Council – the membership-led industry network.
In Spain, the 166-key voco Granada will open in late 2025 adjacent to the Convention Centre of Granada, the communication highway and the city’s largest shopping mall.
New voco openings spread across Europe
Recent voco openings in Europe include properties in Austria, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
In Austria, the voco Vienna Prater is set in the lively multicultural Brigittenau district, close to a diverse offer of shops, restaurants, bars and the nearby traditional Vindobona theatre. The 141-room hotel, IHG’s second vovo property in Austria, opened in Oct-2023 and offers a full-service restaurant, a raised bar and three beautiful meeting rooms suitable for an array of events.
In Belgium, the voco Brussels City North is located in the innovation campus of Living Tomorrow and just 10 kilometres from the city centre. The newly opened (Sep-2023) 92-room property offers guests panoramic views of the city skyline in high-tech rooms – complete with luggage robots, a bar, restaurant, gym, and a terrace.
In France, voco Paris – Porte de Clichy, France is located in Clichy-Batignolles, in a residential, modern and dynamic eco-district in the north-west area of Paris. The hotel has 264 bedrooms, restaurant and rum bar. In addition, there are 11 meeting rooms, a conservatory with a large terrace and a co-working space.
In Portugal, voco Algarve Formosa Park will open by the end of 2023 and marks the voco hotels brand’s debut in Portugal. Set within the Ria Formosa Nature Park, and next to the white sand Ancão Beach, the property features 61 suites.
In Spain, voco Madrid Retiro opened in Oct-2023 just 700m from the Retiro Park. The 197 guest rooms reflect the history and cultural richness of Madrid, as well as in the hybrid meeting rooms, tapas bar, and the private rooftop.
In the United Kingdom, voco Lythe Hill Hotel & Spa opened in May 2023, a historic country house hotel set on 22 acres of picturesque countryside just an hour from central London.
Voco has surpassed 50 open global properties with more than 50 more in the pipeline
As we entered Oct-2023, voco hotels had 55 properties open around the world with a further 51 in the pipeline.
In its Europe market, IHG now has 783 open hotels and a further 167 in the pipeline, across 12 of its brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, voco hotels, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Iberostar Beachfront Resorts.
