Holiday Inn 2015 Annual Report Download - page 8

In 2015, we focused on executing our strategy
to deliver high-quality growth at pace. It was
also an interesting year for our industry –
a year where we saw industry consolidation,
which arguably began with our acquisition
of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, and
discussion around the importance of building
global scale. Scale is, of course, very
important in what is a fragmented industry,
but we focus on building and leveraging
relevant scale, which is not just a numbers
game. It’s also about building scale in our
priority markets, such as Greater China,
and building differentiated capabilities in
terms of our consumer-technology offer
through our digital innovations.
Personal perspective
I spent time on the road during the year,
meeting with many of our owners and
staying in our hotels across the globe to
see first-hand how we are developing and
evolving our portfolio of brands. My visits
took me to many of our most attractive
growth markets, with a particular focus
on Greater China, Germany and India,
and I visited our regional teams in Atlanta,
Delhi, Denham, Frankfurt and Singapore. I
also had an opportunity to experience some
of our new brands: EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE
Hotels and Resorts and, the newest brand in
our portfolio, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.
I have seen the strong
momentum across the
business, and have been
struck by the energy that
our people bring to work
each day.”
Patrick Cescau
Chairman
I have seen the strong momentum across the
business, and have been struck by the energy
that our people bring to work each day. For
a business that is about people and delighting
our guests, this is critical; ultimately it’s
our people who deliver a truly memorable
experience for our guests. I sincerely admire
and appreciate the level of exceptional
service our colleagues provide to the
guests we welcome into our hotels.
I have also spent time listening to our owners
across the world and understanding the
challenges that they face. As Chairman,
I see it as my duty to bring the perspective
of our owners to the fore and ensure that we
are building relationships for the long term.
It is clear that our owners value the strength
of our brand portfolio, and are impressed by
our commitment to operational excellence
and delivering strong returns. Further
building and strengthening our relationships
with owners will continue to be a key focus
for us and for me personally.
Key highlights
We continued to make real progress against
our strategy in 2015. There was a focus within
the business on becoming more agile,
accelerating pace and applying collective
energy to build capabilities where it matters
most. And this approach is paying off. I have
been particularly impressed by the progress
made to develop, implement and execute our
commercial strategy, by enhancing our brand
portfolio, transforming our loyalty proposition
and strengthening our direct channels – all
underpinned by industry-leading technology.
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We continued to make real progress against our
strategy in 2015. There was a focus within the business
on becoming more agile, accelerating pace and applying
collective energy to build capabilities where it matters.
Our strategy in action, creating high-quality
growth for our shareholders (from left
to right) Our acquisition of Kimpton Hotels
& Restaurants; building scale in key markets,
such as Greater China; building an industry-
leading consumer-technology offer; and
growing EVEN Hotels and HUALUXE
Hotels and Resorts.
6IHG Annual Report and Form 20-F 2015