IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a franchise agreement with CL Capital to debut voco™, IHG’s new upscale brand, in the West Midland’s town of Solihull, England.
The hotel will be managed by Kew Green Hotels (KGH) and will be the second voco™ property in the UK, following the opening of voco™ St. David’s, Cardiff.
The 180-room voco™ St. John’s, Solihull has recently opened under the voco™ brand, following a transformative refurbishment to the guest rooms, lobby, and the hotel’s restaurant and bar. The hotel benefits from the voco™ brand’s bold and distinctive interior design, bringing warmth and a modern touch.
With more than 1,230sqm of meeting space across 13 different rooms, the hotel will cater to a variety of business and leisure events of all sizes, from small and large conferences, to weddings of up to 700 guests. The hotel also offers a host of leisure facilities, including a fully equipped health club with an indoor swimming pool, sauna and gym.
Jane Bowler, General Manager at voco™ St.John’s, Solihull, commented: “This is an incredibly exciting time. voco™ will be a fantastic addition to Solihull, and we are proud to be the first voco™ property in the Midlands. We want voco™ St. John’s, Solihull to be an inviting place for both hotel guests and our local community, and we look forward to them experiencing the new brand. Our team are extremely passionate about what we offer and we invite you to experience the world of voco™ for yourself.”
voco™, inspired by the meaning ‘to invite’ or to ‘come together’ in Latin, combines the informality and charm of an individual hotel, with the quality and reassurance of a global and respected brand. voco™ is IHG’s newest brand, launched in June 2018. It is focussed on conversion opportunities and strengthens IHG’s offer in the $40 billion upscale segment, which is expected to grow by a further $20 billion by 2025. The new brand from IHG is set for rapid expansion with a view to open more than 200 voco™ hotels in attractive urban and leisure locations over the next 10 years.
Karan Khanna, Managing Director, UK & Ireland at IHG, commented: “We are excited to open our second voco™ property in the UK following the successful launch of voco™ St. David’s in Cardiff. With a focus on conversion opportunities, the voco™ brand allows us to retain the existing charm of an independent hotel whilst also bringing the reassurances of a trusted brand, along with the power and strength of IHG’s systems.”
Since the brand’s launch in June 2018, voco™ hotels have been signed around the globe, including signings for hotels in Bangkok, Cairo, Dubai as well as Melbourne, Hunter Valley and Yarra Valley in Australia, and the brand debuted with openings in Australia’s Gold Coast as well as in Cardiff (UK).
IHG has more than 340 hotels operating in the UK & Ireland, with a further 30+ in the pipeline*. Brands include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and most recently, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, and voco™.
