IHG expands Taiwan portfolio with five new hotels and digital services - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

IHG Hotels & Resorts is expanding in Taiwan with five new hotel signings while strengthening its digital services for members. The projects cover Taipei, Taitung and Pingtung and include the market debut of HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts as well as new Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, voco and Holiday Inn Express properties.

IHG currently operates 17 hotels across eight brands in Taiwan, ranging from luxury and lifestyle properties to premium and essentials hotels. The latest additions will give the group a presence in a broader mix of urban, cultural, hot spring and leisure destinations.

At the same time, IHG has launched its IHG One Rewards LINE MINI App in Taiwan, integrating hotel reservations and loyalty programme services into LINE, one of the digital platforms widely used by Taiwanese consumers.

HUALUXE makes its Taiwan debut in Taipei

HUALUXE Taipei will become the brand's first property in Taiwan. The concept draws on Chinese cultural traditions and incorporates elements such as tea, dining, social gatherings and locally inspired hospitality.

“The Taiwan market offers rich tourism resources and distinctive cultural heritage, creating diverse travel opportunities,” says Daniel Aylmer, Chief Executive Officer, Greater China, IHG Hotels & Resorts.

According to Aylmer, the new projects and the arrival of HUALUXE reflect IHG's strategy of serving changing traveller requirements with a broader range of brands and experiences.

Crowne Plaza heads to Taitung's hot springs

IHG is also extending its presence beyond Taiwan's largest cities. In the east of the island, Crowne Plaza Taitung Zhiben Hot Spring will bring the Crowne Plaza brand to Zhiben, one of Taiwan's established hot spring destinations.

The hotel is intended to combine hot spring stays with nature and opportunities to explore the surrounding region, adding an internationally branded property to eastern Taiwan's leisure market.

Further south, Holiday Inn Pingtung City Center is set to become the first internationally branded hotel in Pingtung. The signing gives IHG access to another regional market while extending Holiday Inn's footprint on the island.

Dual-brand project strengthens Taipei presence

Two additional hotels will open as part of a dual-brand development in Taipei's Shihlin district. voco Taipei Shihlin will be the first voco property in northern Taiwan and the brand's first newly built hotel in the market.

Its design and guest experience will draw on Shihlin's cultural heritage, commercial activity and local lifestyle. The adjoining Holiday Inn Express Taipei Shihlin will target a broad mix of business, leisure and short-stay guests.

Together, the properties will allow IHG to address different traveller segments from a single development while further increasing its room supply in the Taiwanese capital.

LINE app brings loyalty services closer to local guests

IHG is complementing its physical expansion with a stronger digital presence. The IHG One Rewards programme now has more than 160 million members worldwide, and its new LINE MINI App has been designed specifically to make the programme easier to access in Taiwan.

Members can use the service to register, check points, membership status and benefits, access hotel information and make reservations without leaving the LINE environment.

“The launch of the IHG One Rewards LINE MINI App allows us to engage guests through a platform used in everyday life, making travel planning and membership services more convenient and accessible,” Aylmer says.

To support the launch, IHG is running promotional activities during August, including gamified features, opportunities to earn LINE Points, Live Nation Asia concert ticket promotions and activities reserved for members.

Hotel growth and digital expansion run in parallel

The five signings illustrate IHG's strategy of expanding both geographically and across different travel segments in Taiwan. Taipei remains an important focus, but the projects in Taitung and Pingtung extend the group's international hotel offering into regional destinations with distinctive tourism profiles.

IHG says it will continue working with local owners and partners to grow its hotel portfolio while developing digital services intended to make booking and loyalty benefits more easily accessible to travellers.

Image Credit: © IHG