The UK gains four Kimpton hotels and one InterContinental as it rebrands Principal Hotels

In May this year IHG announced the aquisition of 13 UK properties from Starwood Capital (not related to Starwood Preferred Guest) including Principal Hotels and two De Vere hotels.  This was exciting news because Starwood Capital has spent a huge amount of money refurbishing the main Principal Hotels and they are now some of the best regional hotels in the country.

IHG has now confirmed that four of these hotels will be rebranded as Kimpton.

Currently there is only one Kimpton property in Europe, the Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam which we reviewed here.

The first Kimpton to open in the UK will be the rebranded Principal London in Russell Square – previously the Hotel Russell – which has recently undergone an £85 million refurbishment and only re-opened in April.  The seafood restaurant at this hotel, Neptune, has been attracting a lot of positive press reviews.

The Principal London will be rebranded as a Kimpton later this year.  Principal Manchester, Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square and Principal Blythswood Square Hotel Glasgow will follow in 2019.

IHG has also confirmed speculation about some of the acquired hotels joining its newest brand Voco. The Principal St. Davids Hotel in Cardiff will be the first Voco hotel in the UK.  You can find out more about Voco, IHG’s new ‘conversion brand’, in our article here.

InterContinental returns to the regions

The Principal Edinburgh George Street will return to being an InterContinental hotel late in 2019.  This hotel had previously been an InterContinental until 2005.

The Principal Met Leeds Hotel will be rebranded as an Indigo in 2020 and the De Vere Wotton House in Surrey will operate unbranded as Wotton House whilst IHG decides what to do with it.

Rebranding for the Principal York and the Grand Birmingham, which is currently undergoing refurbishment, has not been announced yet.

Three further ex-Starwood Capital hotels are expected to join the IHG portfolio later this year:  the Principal Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, the De Vere Oxford Thames and the Principal Oxford Spires Hotel.

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