IHG to introduce new Voco luxury brand to UK market

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has revealed plans to launch its new Voco brand to the UK market, as it looks to strengthen its hold on the lucrative luxury sector.

Launched last month, Voco gets its name from the Latin term ‘to invite’ or to ‘come together’, and will combine the "informality and charm of an individual hotel, with the quality and reassurance of a global and respected brand".

IHG will roll Voco out primarily by converting existing hotels and the first UK property will follow this format.

The Principal St. David’s Hotel in Cardiff will be the first to take on the Voco brand later this year.

The Cardiff hotel is one of 13 hotels IHG signed a deal to operate on behalf of French real estate group Foncière des Régions (FdR) earlier this year.

FdR acquired the hotels – which were all operated under the Principal and De Vere brands – from an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group for a reported US$1.1bn (£830m) in May.

"Voco will capitalise on the significant opportunity we have identified to offer consumers an informal but differentiated experience in the upscale segment, while offering owners a strong return on investment," a spokesperson for IHG said.

In a statement, IHG said the roll-out of Voco will begin in Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa (EMEAA) region, with plans to take it to the Americas and China over time.

"The new brand will drive significant incremental growth for us, with an expectation to open more than 200 Voco hotels in attractive urban and leisure locations over the next 10 years," the statement reads.