IHG Hotels & Resorts signs first Garner hotel in Türkiye

26.09.24 (London, UK): IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announces the signing of its first Garner hotel in Türkiye in a franchise agreement with FRT Turizm and support by AB Consulting led by Ahmet Bilgin. The 126-guestroom hotel will consist of four separate buildings and is expected to open in 2025. The signing comes just one month after IHG held its Turkish Investor Day and introduced the Garner brand to the market.

Garner is IHG’s new brand in the midscale conversion space. It builds on both the company’s leading position in the Mainstream segment and its success in launching and growing conversion brands. The popularity of the brand has grown across the world amongst hotel owners, with 79 signings and four openings since launch*. The brand allows investors to generate stronger returns thanks to its extremely competitive conversion cost per key, flexible design standards to accommodate unique footprints, and an ability to reduce pre-opening costs by quickly moving to operational and now-open status.

Each Garner property also benefits from quick access to IHG’s enterprise to support throughout the lifecycle of the hotel. This includes its digital capabilities, global sales organisation, award-winning distribution systems, and its loyalty programme, IHG One Rewards – which now has over 130 million members.

It is focused on an unrivalled commitment to provide guests with a relaxed and purposefully different stay experience at a price that’s hard to find. The brand is designed to deliver on what guests expect and the amenities they value most – from a convenient location, a great night’s sleep, satisfying snacks available 24/7 in the Garner Shop and a delicious breakfast worth getting up for.

The hotel will be the ideal location for transient guests with its proximity to the new International Istanbul Airport – the seventh busiest airport in the world welcoming over 64.3 million passengers every year – and with the brand promise to deliver ‘easy going stays that get you on your way’.

(Mrs) Willemijn Geels, Vice President, Development, Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented: “With the first Garner hotel being signed just one month after we introduced the brand to our Turkish investors, it is promising to see the continued confidence our owners have in IHG’s brands. This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without our trusting relationship with FRT Turizm and the support of Ahmet Bilgin and his company AB Consulting. This will be the second property we open together in 2025 alongside Holiday Inn Express Istanbul Airport Arnavutkoy district, Istanbul.
I’m confident our Garner brand will continue to grow as more owners across Türkiye and the continent understand the flexibility and strong returns, backed by IHG’s powerful enterprise, that the brand offers.”

Fırat Çelebi and Vedat Çelebi, board members of FRT Turizm, said: “Hearing about the Garner brand during IHG’s Investor Day, we knew it would seamlessly fit into our location in Arnavutkoy. We look forward to welcoming travellers to the first Garner in Türkiye once we open our doors next year and becoming the first choice for all transit guests looking for a quick, convenient stay before heading to the airport.”

Türkiye continues to be an important market for IHG where it operates 31 open hotels across five brands (Six Senses, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and the Holiday Inn brand family), and has a robust pipeline of 12 hotels*.

*Numbers as at 30 June 2024