InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) signed a two-hotel portfolio agreement with King Park Hotel Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Hass Enterprise Sdn. Bhd., on September 23, 2026. This deal marks the launch of IHG’s franchise model in Malaysia and introduces the Garner Hotels brand in the country with the rebranding of King Park Hotel Kota Kinabalu to Garner Hotel Kota Kinabalu.
Hotel Room Counts and Opening Timelines
Garner Hotel Kota Kinabalu will have a total of 202 rooms opened in two phases: 106 rooms are planned to open in 2027 and 96 rooms will follow in 2029. Holiday Inn Express Tawau, which will be a refurbishment of
King Park Hotel Tawau, is scheduled to open in 2028 with 140 rooms. This marks IHG’s first hotel presence in Tawau.
IHG Portfolio Expansion in Malaysia
IHG now has more than 20 open and pipeline hotels across Malaysia, including destinations such as Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Melaka, and Penang. Upcoming launches include the InterContinental Penang Resort, a redevelopment of the former Mutiara Beach resort, and voco Muar, the second property under that brand in Malaysia.
Brand Positioning of Garner Hotels and Holiday Inn Express
The Garner Hotels brand targets midscale travelers by providing essential services such as convenient locations, sound sleep, and hot breakfast at an affordable price. Holiday Inn Express is IHG’s
fastest-growing Essentials brand with over 3,300 open hotels globally and more than 660 in its development pipeline. The brand serves self-sufficient travelers with a no-fuss basecamp experience and includes a complimentary Express Start™ breakfast.
IHG Leadership Statements on Franchise Model and Partnership
According to Bryan Chan, Vice President of Development for Southeast Asia and Korea at IHG, launching the franchise model in Malaysia unlocks opportunities for asset conversion and repositioning. He noted the partnership with King Park Hotel Sdn. Bhd. provides a solid foundation for their first two franchise hotels. He also stated that Garner Hotel Kota Kinabalu will increase IHG’s presence in Kota Kinabalu from one to
five hotels, while Holiday Inn Express Tawau strengthens IHG’s footprint in Sabah’s tourism corridor.
Global Scale and Loyalty Program Context
IHG operates over 7,000 hotels worldwide with a total of more than one million rooms and a development pipeline of 2,400 properties. Its loyalty program IHG One Rewards has over 160 million members globally. Garner Hotels and Holiday Inn Express brands are part of IHG’s strategy to cater to midscale and smart, self-sufficient travelers respectively.
