8 Key Moments During Keith Barr's Reign at IHG

Marriott International announced 13 deal signings in Turkey comprising over 2,000 rooms.

Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands, together making up nearly 70% of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)’s portfolio in India, are going to remain the “driver of growth” in the market, said the company’s South West Asia Managing Director, Sudeep Jain.

Shakey Graves burst onto the the music scene with his debut album ‘Roll The Bones’ in 2011, combining folk, rock and country music and a kick drum built out of a suicase. Now the muscian is partnering with Wild Turkey for their ‘ Trust Your Spirit ’ campaign and their ‘ 101 Bold Nights Musical Mentorship ’ competition where he will help mentor another rising muscial talent. I spoke with Shakey with about why he left acting for music, the best local drink you don’t know about and what it’s like owning a haunted guitar.

TUI is expanding the season in Turkey. Turkey is one of the most popular holiday destinations for TUI guests from all markets. 1.9 million guests travelled to Turkey with TUI in 2022. The country is not only a sought-after destination in the summer season. TUI Deutschland customers can book holidays in Antalya all year round. The region on the Turkish Riviera is TUI’s fifth largest destination in the winter season. Now the offer is also being expanded for British guests: for the winter season 2023/24, capacities for Antalya will be increased by 30 per cent.

This incident could potentially have implications for the travel and hospitality industry, particularly for businesses focusing on safety measures and risk management in luxury travel experiences.

As the undulating, soulful call to prayer drifts over from a mosque across the bay, guests in floaty silk beachwear lounge on cushioned sun beds by the glittering Aegean sea, sipping iced water and detox juices.

HotelTonight co-founder and CEO Sam Shank, who steered the hotel booking app even after it was acquired by Airbnb in 2019, recently announced he would be leaving the short-term rental giant. Shank wrote on his LinkedIn account that he would take some time before making plans for a future outside of the travel industry.

No, you weren’t just imagining your social media timelines full of all your friends posting from Istanbul and Turkey this summer. It happened to be true.

“I’m really excited about the quality of the brand portfolio,” IHG CEO Keith Barr said at Skift Global Forum. Barr goes on to describe the current realities of the hotel business: it’s a real estate business at the end of the day, after all. But IHG has been hyper-focused on its brands and its franchise partners. “It’s been great because there’re such clearly defined brands that enable us to work with a number of opportunities,” he told Skift’s Sean O’Neill.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, November 22. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) said on Monday that it had added Iberostar Hotels & Resorts as a new brand through a 30-year licensing deal that lets IHG market the all-inclusive hotels and resorts. “Up to 70 hotels,” equal to about 24,300 rooms, will become bookable through IHG’s website and app under the Iberostar Beachfront Resorts brand — the 18th IHG brand.

The Ace Hotel Group, the boutique hotel chain considered to be a pioneer in the sector, announced Tuesday that it will be acquired by hospitality firm Sortis Holdings for $85 million, marking yet another chapter in the history of this small but influential player in hospitality.