InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a two-hotel franchise portfolio agreement with King Park Hotel Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Hass Enterprise Sdn. Bhd., marking the launch of its franchise model in Malaysia and introducing the Garner Hotels brand to the country.
The agreement involves the rebranding of King Park Hotel Kota Kinabalu into the 202-room Garner Hotel Kota Kinabalu, with 106 rooms expected to open in 2027 and an additional 96 rooms in a second phase by 2029. King Park Hotel Tawau will be refurbished and rebranded as the 140-room Holiday Inn Express Tawau, set to open in 2028.
This marks IHG’s first hotel presence in the city of Tawau.
IHG Franchising and Market Expansion
According to Bryan Chan, Vice President, Development, Southeast Asia & Korea, IHG, the introduction of franchising opens opportunities for conversions and repositioning across independent and branded hotels in Southeast Asia. King Park Hotel Sdn. Bhd. brings local market expertise as a subsidiary of Hass Enterprise Sdn. Bhd., headquartered in Miri, Sarawak, making it an ideal partner for IHG’s first franchise hotels in Malaysia.
With the addition of Garner Hotel Kota Kinabalu, IHG’s presence in Kota Kinabalu will increase from one to five hotels. Holiday Inn Express Tawau will add
IHG’s first footprint in Tawau, enhancing its portfolio in Sabah’s growing tourism corridor.
Brand Positioning and Guest Profiles
Garner Hotels is IHG’s midscale conversion brand tailored for value-driven travelers seeking essentials such as convenient locations, comfortable sleep, and hot breakfast at an affordable price. The brand promises an easygoing experience for both business and leisure travelers.
Holiday Inn Express, IHG’s fastest-growing Essentials brand with over 3,300 open hotels worldwide, targets self-sufficient travelers seeking a no-fuss basecamp. It offers a consistent, value-rich stay including a complimentary Express Start™ breakfast.
IHG’s Malaysia Portfolio and Pipeline
The two hotels expand IHG’s portfolio in Malaysia to more than 20 open and pipeline properties across
key destinations such as Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Melaka, and Penang. Upcoming Malaysian openings include the InterContinental Penang Resort and voco Muar, the second voco hotel in the country.
Global Scale and Loyalty Programme
IHG operates over one million rooms across 7,000 hotels in more than 100 countries, with a development pipeline exceeding 2,400 properties. The IHG One Rewards loyalty programme has over 160 million members globally. The group’s holding company, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, is registered in England and Wales and employs approximately 400,000 people worldwide.
