IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a deal with long-term partner GCP Hospitality covering 14 hotels in Kyoto, Japan. The portfolio has 1,063 rooms and includes 12 Garner hotels, one Holiday Inn Express, and one unbranded property. All 14 hotels will be renovated and converted, with the properties expected to reopen in phases over the next 12 months.
Garner Leads the Conversion
The deal will significantly expand IHG’s presence in Japan’s business hotel segment. Garner, IHG’s midscale conversion brand, will account for most of the portfolio, while the Holiday Inn Express conversion will become the company’s third hotel under the brand in Japan. The other Holiday Inn Express properties are in Osaka and Sapporo.
IHG launched Garner in Japan in 2025 with three hotels in Osaka. The brand has since reached 100 hotels globally, according to IHG. The company said the Kyoto agreement is one of the largest hotel conversion portfolio deals in Japan in recent years, and it reflects growing interest in bringing international brands into the country’s established business hotel market.
Properties Span Key Kyoto Areas
The hotels are spread across several parts of Kyoto, including areas around Kyoto Station, Shijo, and Gojo. Their locations put them near major transportation links and tourist attractions. The portfolio will add to IHG’s existing Kyoto presence, which includes Six Senses Kyoto, ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto, Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo, and Garner Hotel Kyoto Shijo Karasuma.
GCP Hospitality will lead the management team for the 14 hotels. The company is the hospitality arm of Gaw Capital Group and has an existing relationship with IHG in Japan. GCP Hospitality CEO Erwann Mahé said the agreement builds on the company’s work in the country and will support the repositioning of the portfolio.
For IHG, the deal adds another large group of conversion projects at a time when it is expanding its mainstream brands in Japan. Abhijay Sandilya, Managing Director for Japan and Micronesia at IHG, said the company sees further room to grow Garner because international brands remain less common in Japan’s business hotel segment. The Kyoto portfolio will be converted and reopened in stages over the coming year.
