Strategic Report

Industry overview
From growing consumer demand for branded
hotels, to an expanding middle class and greater
disposable incomes, we operate in an industry
with growth potential.

The global hotel industry is a $525bn

industry, made up of 18 million rooms. Overview of global hotel industry
54% of rooms are affiliated with a global
or regional chain (‘branded’), up from Geography Branded hotels Segment
50% in 2012, and 46% are unaffiliated The US is the largest hotel The top five hotel groups The hotel industry
(‘independent’). The top five hotel groups, market, whilst China have increased their can be categorised
IHG, Marriott, Hilton, Wyndham and Accor continues to growa market share by 6%a by price levela
account for 25% of market share, up from
19% in 2012, and for 58% of the global 2018 24.9% 6%
9%
development pipeline of hotels in 2017 23.8% 19%
16%
planning or under construction.
2016 23.2%
In what is a fragmented market, % of room 40%
2015 22.7% 14% % rooms
revenue
competitor pressures in the branded space
51% 2014 19.8% 23%
are intensifying as all major players pursue
growth strategies through acquisitions, 2013 19.2% 22%
organic growth or diversification. As the 2012 19.0%
digital landscape has evolved, consumer
 Americas % rooms  Luxury  Upper
choice of where to stay and how to book has Midscale
  Rest of the world  Upper
developed and hotel companies compete in Upscale  Midscale
  Greater China
an environment that includes Online Travel  Upscale  Economy
Intermediaries and alternative lodging
solutions, such as peer-to-peer home rental
companies and serviced apartments.
Hotel industry growth drivers: 10-year annual growth rate
There are several metrics that recognise Global GDP Global household income Global corporate profits

2.5 % 2.8 % 4.2 %

industry performance. RevPAR is an
important indicator of the value guests
ascribe to a given hotel, brand or market and
+ CAGRb + CAGRb + CAGRb
grows when guests stay more often or pay Indicator of economic Growing consumer spending Good indicator of
higher rates. Rooms supply is significant growth – hotel performance and leisure travel, supported business travel demand
because it is reflective of the attractiveness correlates with GDP by cheaper air travel – continues to grow
of investing in the hotel industry from an
owner perspective and is influenced mainly
by the profitability of a brand or market. Global hotel industry performance
Driven by strong economic fundamentals,
Global Industry RevPAR ($)a Global rooms supply (m rooms)a
the global hotel industry has seen growth in
RevPAR growth suggests Supply growth reflects the
both RevPAR and rooms supply for the past
solid lodging demand attractiveness of the hotel industry
nine years as part of a larger travel and
tourism sector. It also plays an important
2018 82.8 2018 17.8
role economically, accounting for 1 in 10
2017 79.8 2017 17.4
jobs around the world.
2016 76.7 2016 17.0
The hotel industry is cyclical; long-term
2015 75.2 2015 16.7
fluctuations in RevPAR tend to reflect the
interplay between industry demand, supply 2014 71.9 2014 16.4
and the macroeconomic environment.
In the short term, at a local market level, Hotel business models
political, economic and natural factors
such as terrorism, oil market conditions There are two principal business models • Owner-operated, asset-heavy model
and hurricanes can impact demand used by branded hotel groups: –– Owned – operated and branded by
and supply. the owner who bears all of the cost
• Fee-based, asset-light model
but benefits from all of the income.
–– Franchised – owned and operated
by parties distinct from the brand, –– Leased – similar to owned, except
who pay fees to the hotel company for the owner-operator does not have
the use of their brand. outright ownership of the hotel but
leases it from the ultimate owner.
–– Managed – operated by a party
distinct from the hotel owner, who Asset-heavy business models allow tighter
pays management fees and, if the control over hotel operations, whilst
hotel uses a third-party brand name, asset-light models enable faster growth
Source: STR, Inc fees to that third-party also. with lower capital investment.
a

b
Source: Oxford Economics

8 IHG  |  Annual Report and Form 20-F 2018

 InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, China

Trends shaping our industry

Demand for branded experiences Diverse consumer needs Power of the cloud
Growing consumer demand for branded The consumer landscape continues to evolve Data generation, storage and use has
experiences requires hotel companies to – from millennials seeking increasingly unique never been as prevalent and important
continue to find new ways to work with and authentic experiences, to baby boomers as it is today. Cloud storage has further
owners and partners to meet expectations. with money and time to travel, both of whom changed the game, giving accommodation
increasingly expect technology to aid, inform providers easy access to real-time diverse
Owners recognise the strength of a branded
and enrich their stays. data, that enables a more personalised
offer, and in addition to traditional
and efficient service.
opportunities, are looking for ways to From intuitive booking apps, chatbots, and
affiliate with a brand through light-touch mobile check-in/check-out, to smart artificial Operationally it allows providers to use
conversions or low-cost construction intelligence assistants and seamless wifi, data to tailor guest experiences faster, and
techniques, combined with features that today’s guests expect technology to be drive a more personalised relationship
reduce operating costs. The recent addition integrated into many areas of the travel with them. With this trend comes a
of multiple new brands by big-branded experience. To meet this trend, the ability of growing responsibility to handle data
players illustrates the level of capacity in hotel companies to work in partnership with responsibly, respecting consumer
the market and industry appetite. the right technology providers has become preferences and rights.
increasingly important.
Over the last decade, IHG has added our IHG is a pioneer in data-centric
wellness focus brand, EVEN Hotels, a brand IHG has made good progress in this area: technology innovation, from loyalty to
tailored to the Chinese consumer, HUALUXE, from bespoke online payment solutions to reservations and hotel solutions. See
and following acquisition, expanded Artifical Intelligence Smart Rooms in some IHG Concerto™ case study on page 21
Kimpton in the global luxury space. We have of our InterContinental hotels, which allows for more details.
also launched avid hotels in the mainstream guests to use voice commands to control
segment, upscale brand voco, which is opening the curtains through to ordering
principally focused on conversions, and room service; and the development of IHG
acquired both Regent and Six Senses Hotels Studio with our avid brand, which allows
Resorts Spas in the top tier of the luxury seamless direct casting of entertainment
segment. This reflects a continued strategic from guest smart devices to in-room TVs.
focus on offering more tailored experiences
to a diverse guest base in the highest
opportunity segments and markets.

20+ a

New brands launched in the the last decade

46% b

Of predicted US business trip spending will be by

90% c

Data in the world was generated in last two years

by the top five hotel groups millennials, by 2020

voco™ launched in 2018 Artificial Intelligence Smart Rooms IHG Concerto™

Source: STR, Inc

a

b
Source: Boston Consulting Group, Inc These pages should be read together
with our principal risks on pages 26 to 30
c
Source: Forbes Media LLC
and risk factors on pages 182 to 186.

IHG  |  Annual Report and Form 20-F 2018  |  Strategic Report  |  Industry overview 9