IHG Hotels & Resorts is to open two new hotels in Scotland, extending its Voco Hotels brand into the market with the voco Grand Central in Glasgow and new-build voco Edinburgh – Haymarket.
Voco is the newest brand in the group, part of its Premium Collection of brands for high-quality properties falling into heritage, urban and destination opportunities. IHG is touting the brand as an opportunity for conversions, which have been a key focus for growth in the hotel sector during the pandemic, thanks to a flexible model suitable for a broad range of asset types, and an ability to reduce pre-opening costs by quickly moving to operational and now-open status. Voco currently has ten hotels open across Europe, including Cardiff, Oxford and Reading in the UK.
Karan Khanna, Managing Director UK & Ireland, IHG Hotels & Resorts said: “We are delighted to see our voco brand enter the Scottish hotel market. Both properties reflect the voco brand proposition, being reliably different while celebrating each hotel’s individual spirit and character. Since launching in 2018, voco has seen extraordinary growth and is proving popular with owners and developers alike given its strong conversion appeal. After launching the brand in China and the US just a few months ago, I am truly delighted that we’re now also entering a new market a little closer to home. We are all hopeful for a safe and continued lifting of lockdown restrictions so we can fully open the doors to these wonderful hotels for our guests to enjoy.”
IHG is looking to open both hotels in March, although Covid-related restrictions announced by the Scottish Government may delay the re-opening of leisure hospitality to April or May.