IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of an agreement to convert 14 hotels in Kyoto, in partnership with GCP Hospitality, the hotel arm of Gaw Capital Group. The portfolio, totalling 1,063 rooms, comprises 12 hotels set to join the Garner brand, one Holiday Inn Express and one property currently unbranded. All openings, staggered following renovation and rebranding, are scheduled to take place over the next twelve months.
A landmark deal for IHG’s development in Japan
This signing represents one of the largest conversion deals carried out in the Japanese market in recent years. It reflects the momentum behind Garner, the mid-scale conversion brand launched in August 2023, which has become the fastest-growing brand in IHG’s history, with more than 100 hotels now open worldwide.
The agreement also marks IHG’s third Holiday Inn Express signing in Japan, following the Holiday Inn Express Osaka City Centre – Midosuji and the Holiday Inn Express Sapporo Susukino.
Kyoto, a priority market for the group
The strengthening of IHG’s Kyoto portfolio adds to an already established presence in the city, which includes Six Senses Kyoto, ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto, Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo and the Garner Hotel Kyoto Shijo Karasuma, which opened in late 2025. With this latest deal, IHG positions itself among the largest international hotel groups operating in the city.
The 14 hotels involved are located across central Kyoto districts, particularly around Kyoto Station, as well as in the Shijo and Gojo areas, close to the city’s main transport hubs and major cultural and tourist sites. Kyoto continues to attract strong international and domestic tourist demand year-round, a backdrop that is fuelling investor interest in large-scale hotel portfolios, as also illustrated by the recent sale of a 16-hotel Kyoto portfolio advised by JLL and Ecclesia Asset Management.
Garner, a conversion lever for an under-penetrated segment
Abhijay Sandilya, Managing Director, Japan & Micronesia at IHG Hotels & Resorts and CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, described the signing as a milestone for the group in Japan alongside its long-standing partner GCP Hospitality. He noted that the agreement reflects both the strength of the group’s brands and growing owner confidence, eighteen months after Garner’s successful launch in Osaka.
He added that the business hotel segment remains under-penetrated by international brands in Japan, which in his view opens up nationwide development potential, with IHG saying it is ready to evaluate further portfolios.
For his part, Erwann Mahé, CEO of GCP Hospitality, highlighted the strengthening of the partnership with IHG through this landmark agreement. GCP Hospitality has been appointed to lead the management team for the entire portfolio, drawing on the scale, brand strength and distribution capabilities of the IHG group to reposition these assets in one of Japan’s most important tourism markets.
A hotel segment historically dominated by domestic players
IHG made its debut with Garner in Japan in 2025, with the opening of three hotels in Osaka. The brand occupies a distinct place in the local hospitality landscape, offering an affordable, quality proposition for both business and leisure travellers. Japan’s business hotel segment, known for functional properties with consistent standards, has traditionally been dominated by domestic operators, making IHG’s development in this space particularly notable for an international group.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
IHG signs 14-hotel Kyoto portfolio with GCP Hospitality
1,063 rooms across 14 hotels in Kyoto
12 hotels to convert to Garner, 1 to Holiday Inn Express, 1 currently unbranded
Phased conversions and openings over the next 12 months
Third Holiday Inn Express signing in Japan
Garner has surpassed 100 open hotels globally since its August 2023 launch
GCP Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Gaw Capital Group, to lead portfolio management
