IHG Hotels & Resorts announced on May 7 that it delivered a strong trading performance in the first quarter of 2026, reporting global revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth of 4.4 percent. The company said this was driven by increases in all regions, including the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA), and Greater China.
The results matter to investors and industry observers as they reflect ongoing recovery and expansion in the hospitality sector. IHG highlighted notable strength in the US market as well as accelerating growth in Greater China.
Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer of IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “With thanks to our teams we delivered a very strong Q1 trading performance, benefiting from our diverse global footprint and better than expected demand in most regions around the world. Global RevPAR grew +4.4%, with notable strength in the US on top of good growth this time last year, and further acceleration in Greater China following a return to growth in the prior quarter. Our diverse EMEAA region also performed well despite challenges from the conflict in the Middle East, where we continue to do all we can to support our guests, teams and owners.”
During Q1 2026, IHG opened 82 hotels totaling nearly 15,000 rooms—2 percent more than during the same period last year—and reached a milestone of over 7,000 hotels globally. The company signed agreements for an additional 163 hotels (21,400 rooms), which is a six percent increase compared to last year when excluding acquisitions.
Maalouf added: “We are proud to have reached the milestone of more than 7,000 hotels… Strong pipeline momentum continued with the signing of 163 hotels… Demand for quick-to-market conversions to IHG’s brands and enterprise platform continues to be high…” He also addressed current challenges: “Looking ahead…the impact of the Middle East conflict and some wider disruption to international travel flows [is] expected to be more than offset by increases in demand elsewhere.”
Looking forward into Q2 and beyond for fiscal year 2026, Maalouf concluded: “While still early, our confidence of achieving full year consensus growth forecasts and profit expectations is underpinned by the strength of our performance year-to-date. We are delivering on our strategic priorities and growth algorithm…”
