IHG boosts UK revpar by 7.7%
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has grown UK revpar by 7.7% in first quarter trading.
The hotel group said that it had seen increases in both London and the provinces, driven by improvements in the economic environment.
Revpar in the UK outstripped global growth, which stood at 5.9%.
IHG signed 1,047 rooms in Europe during the quarter, contributing to its global total of 732,000 rooms across 4,921 hotels.
It has also begun work on "a next-generation guest reservation system" with Amadeus which will be built along the same lines as those developed by the airline industry.
IHG chief executive Richard Solomons said: "We have made a strong start to the year, executing against our winning strategy to deliver revpar growth of 5.9%. We achieved our highest first quarter for hotel signings in seven years, and openings in five years, demonstrating the continued momentum behind both our established and new brands.
"Holiday Inn continues to go from strength to strength, opening in its 75th country, and delivering the highest number of first quarter hotel signings since 2008.
"We continue to lead the industry with our focus on innovation in technology, and through our strategic relationship with Amadeus we will develop the hotel industry's first cloud-based Guest Reservation System. It will enable us to shape the future foundations of our sector and allows us to concentrate on our own bespoke platforms, as we accelerate our work to revolutionise and personalise the guest experience through digital technology."
