IHG's 21 Hotel Brands Explained: Which One Should You Book in 2026?

Bottom line

IHG’s official portfolio now contains 21 brands, not the 19 listed in the old version of this guide. Choose by trip type before chasing a logo:

• Luxury resort or milestone: Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental.
• Independent luxury/design: Vignette Collection, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo.
• Full-service business: Crowne Plaza, HUALUXE, voco.
• Wellness-led business: EVEN Hotels.
• Reliable short stay: Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, avid, Garner.
• Kitchen or longer stay: Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Atwell Suites.
• Beachfront all-inclusive: participating Iberostar Beachfront Resorts.

Ruby joined IHG in 2025, while Noted Collection launched in February 2026 as IHG’s 21st brand. Not every new brand or property is fully integrated into IHG One Rewards yet.

Search live IHG-area hotel options, then compare the same room and terms with IHG direct if points or elite benefits matter.

Portfolio at a glance

This table follows IHG’s current brand portfolio. A segment is positioning, not a guaranteed star rating, room size, breakfast or price.

Luxury and lifestyle

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

Choose Six Senses for wellness-led resorts, distinctive destinations and a stay where the property is a major part of the trip. Do not assume every stay is all-inclusive: meal plans and inclusions are property-specific. IHG One Rewards applies only at participating Six Senses properties, and some standard program benefits may not be available.

Regent Hotels & Resorts

Regent is IHG’s high-luxury brand for travellers prioritising space, personalised service and flagship locations. It is not automatically the best points redemption; dynamic reward pricing, availability and cash rates must be compared for the actual date.

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

InterContinental is the broad global luxury option for major cities and resorts. It often suits business-plus-leisure trips where meeting facilities, lounges or destination location matter. InterContinental Ambassador is a separate paid program and should not be confused with IHG One Rewards elite status.

Vignette Collection

Vignette is a collection of independently styled luxury/lifestyle hotels connected by IHG standards and distribution. Official IHG data listed 34 open hotels as of 31 March 2026. Because each property is different, verify facilities and elite treatment rather than importing assumptions from another Vignette hotel.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

Kimpton is a design-led urban/resort lifestyle brand known for local personality. Social-hour and pet policies are property/region-specific in execution; the old article’s universal 5–6 p.m. wine promise should not be used as a booking guarantee.

Hotel Indigo

Hotel Indigo uses neighborhood stories and local design. Choose it when location and character matter more than identical rooms across a chain. Building type, restaurant, gym and room size vary sharply.

Premium

Noted Collection

IHG launched Noted Collection in February 2026 for distinctive independent premium hotels. As of IHG’s 31 March 2026 brand page it had zero open hotels and one in the pipeline. Treat it as an emerging brand to monitor, not a mature network you can reliably book today.

voco hotels

voco is an upscale conversion-friendly brand. It can offer full-service comfort without InterContinental positioning, but converted buildings differ. Check renovation date, room category, lounge and meeting facilities at property level.

Ruby

Ruby is an urban “lean luxury” brand centred on compact, stylish city hotels. IHG says integration into IHG One Rewards is continuing during 2026, so confirm that the individual hotel participates before relying on points, status or reward nights.

HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts

HUALUXE is designed around Chinese hospitality and business/social occasions. It is especially relevant in Greater China. Restaurants, tea spaces and event facilities may be central to the product, but exact facilities differ.

Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts

Crowne Plaza is the broad premium business and meetings choice. It can be a strong default for conferences and corporate travel, but age and renovation status vary widely across a large network.

EVEN Hotels

EVEN focuses on wellness-minded travel, including movement and balanced food concepts. Choose it when those features are useful, but verify what the specific hotel offers rather than expecting identical in-room equipment everywhere.

Essentials

Holiday Inn Express

Holiday Inn Express is designed for efficient short stays. Breakfast is a core feature in many markets, but service format, inclusions and local exceptions must be checked on the live rate. Do not infer full-service restaurants or room service.

Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts

Holiday Inn is the flexible family/business full-service workhorse. Pools, restaurants, children’s benefits and resort features are property-specific. It is generally a safer starting point when on-site services matter more than design.

Garner hotels

Garner is IHG’s midscale conversion brand, designed around relaxed, practical stays. It launched globally in 2023 and officially entered Greater China in March 2026. Converted buildings mean room and facility consistency should be verified.

avid hotels

avid targets essentials-focused stays with a simpler product. Choose it for a clean base and predictable basics, not for a full-service resort experience. The network remains more geographically limited than Holiday Inn Express.

Suites and extended stay

Atwell Suites

Atwell Suites is an all-suite brand positioned for flexible work and social stays. It is still a relatively small network, so confirm that the desired destination actually has an open property.

Staybridge Suites

Staybridge is designed for extended stays with kitchen facilities and shared spaces. It often fits families, relocation and project work. Kitchen equipment, breakfast, housekeeping frequency and pet fees vary by hotel and rate.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations

This is a vacation-ownership/resort-oriented brand, not simply a larger Holiday Inn room. Sales presentations, owner inventory and hotel-style bookings can coexist; understand the exact product and cancellation terms.

Candlewood Suites

Candlewood is a practical extended-stay option built around in-room kitchens and self-service facilities. It typically has fewer full-service features than Staybridge; compare laundry, housekeeping and breakfast expectations.

Iberostar Beachfront Resorts

Participating Iberostar Beachfront Resorts add beachfront and all-inclusive inventory to IHG’s ecosystem. Not every Iberostar participates in IHG One Rewards, and Cuba properties are outside the portfolio arrangement. Board type, guest ages and occupancy are especially important for reward bookings.

IHG One Rewards: the rules that change the comparison

IHG’s current terms say members generally earn 10 points per US dollar on qualifying stays at most participating brands and 5 points per US dollar at Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and residences/extended-stay units. Exceptions and eligible-charge definitions apply.

Three safeguards matter:

1. Book a qualifying channel/rate. Most OTA bookings do not earn points or receive standard elite benefits.
2. Check participation. Six Senses, Iberostar and Ruby have property-level participation caveats.
3. Do not fix a point value. Reward pricing is dynamic and availability-controlled; compare cash and points for each date.

Our Hyatt vs IHG vs Marriott elite guide explains current thresholds and benefits. Status does not make the wrong brand right for the trip.

How to choose in five steps

1. Decide whether the hotel is the destination

For a resort trip, facilities and meal plan dominate. For a city trip, location and transport may outweigh brand tier.

2. Choose service model

Full service, limited service, collection hotel, extended stay and all-inclusive are different products. Compare what will actually be used.

3. Verify the individual property

Check renovation, room size/category, windows, breakfast, gym/pool, lounge, parking, pet policy and accessibility. Conversion brands require extra care.

4. Compare the complete price

Use:

stay total + tax/fees + breakfast/board + parking + resort/destination fee + extra guest + FX cost − usable benefits

5. Decide whether loyalty is worth paying for

Compare an eligible direct IHG rate with the identical OTA rate. Value only benefits you are certain to use; do not price an uncertain upgrade as cash.

Compare the live Booking.com total and Agoda total before choosing the channel.

Common mistakes

• Calling Six Senses “Banyan Tree”: they are unrelated hotel groups.
• Assuming Six Senses is always all-inclusive.
• Treating Noted Collection as a large open network in 2026.
• Expecting every Ruby property to be fully integrated into rewards.
• Assuming every Holiday Inn Express rate includes the same breakfast globally.
• Using static cash and reward ranges as if they were current quotes.
• Booking through an OTA and expecting normal IHG points/status benefits.
• Choosing a luxury brand far from the actual itinerary.

Frequently asked questions

How many hotel brands does IHG have in 2026?

IHG calls Noted Collection its 21st brand. The active booking footprint varies because new brands and individual properties enter the system over time.

What is IHG’s most luxurious brand?

Regent and Six Senses occupy the top luxury end with different propositions; InterContinental provides a broader global luxury network. There is no universal “best.”

Which IHG brand is best for families?

Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and selected resorts are strong starting points. Confirm occupancy, extra beds, breakfast/meal-plan child rules and pool facilities.

Which is best for a long stay?

Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites are the clearest extended-stay choices; Atwell Suites may fit shorter blended work/social stays. Compare kitchen and housekeeping.

Is every Iberostar part of IHG One Rewards?

No. Only participating properties qualify, with additional program exceptions.

Can I earn IHG points on an OTA booking?

Normally, online-travel-agency rates are not qualifying stays under current IHG terms. Check the actual rate/channel before buying.

Official sources checked

• IHG current brand portfolio
• IHG launches its 21st brand, Noted Collection
• IHG brand and participation caveats
• IHG One Rewards terms

This guide was fact-checked on 13 July 2026. Brand count, openings, participation and program terms can change.

After choosing a brand and location, search live hotel inventory or request an adviser quote for a complex stay.