The Holiday Inn – the nic Cure, in the German town of Erlangen, is the first of more than 50 properties to be rebranded, as part of the agreement between the two companies signed in April 2024. The 177 room hotel has been refreshed as part of the rebranding, with distinctive design elements that take inspiration from Erlangen’s well-known affiliation with medicine and medical technology.

A dual branded approach

“We are delighted to work with our partners at Novum Hospitality, to open the first Holiday Inn – the niu hotel in Germany,” said Mario Maxeiner, Managing Director, Northern Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts. “This is a brand collaboration that offers guests the comfort and expertise of one of the world’s most recognised and trusted brands, Holiday Inn, combined with the stylish and locally inspired design of the niu. The hotel is an excellent first representation of how this brand collaboration comes to life. We look forward to converting and opening the doors to more than 50 existing hotels for this brand collaboration in the months to come.”

Over coming months, the joint branding agreement will see 52 hotels refreshed, rebranded and integrated into the IHG distribution system and loyalty programme, IHG Rewards. The majority of the hotels are across Germany, in cities including Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremburg and Potsdam. Outside Germany, the joint branding will also appear on Novum hotels in Amsterdam and Haarlem in the Netherlands, Manchester in the UK and Vienna, Austria. In addition to the existing hotels in the agreement, the two partners are also looking to add new hotels to a co-branded pipeline, and have signed the first one already.

The refreshed hotels will all feature Holiday Inn’s “living lobby” format, creating a space where guests can unwind and relax, or work during the day. The area features a bar offering drinks and light bites, with a round the clock lobby shop providing guests with an easy source of snacks.

Building a presence in Germany

Adding the Novum properties will transform IHG’s presence in the German market. Currently the group has 96 hotels open and trading, across its brands including InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express.

IHG’s other pipeline projects in Germany include the InterContinental Frankfurt, which will undergo a temporary closure for full refurbishment of its 467 rooms, ahead of a mid 2025 relaunch. The Holiday Inn Express brand continues to expand, with sites in progress in Leverkusen, Kassel and Monheim. The Kimpton brand is due to make an appearance in Frankfurt, where a 155 room new build will open in mid 2025. And a Vignette Collection hotel has been signed in the mountain resort of Rent Im Winkl, with an expected opening in early 2026.