InterContinental Hotels Group and Pro-invest Group have signed their first Even Hotels property in Australasia. The 200-guestroom Even Hotel Auckland in New Zealand is scheduled to open in 2020 in Auckland's city center and is the first of the brand to be signed outside of North America.
The property is also the first in Pro-Invest Group’s portfolio of 10-15 Even Hotels across the capital cities and economic hubs in Australia and New Zealand, in partnership with IHG. “Wellness travel is a global phenomenon and a $563-billion industry today," Jan Smits, CEO Asia Middle East & Africa, IHG, said in a statement.
The Even Hotels brand was established by IHG based on the consumer shift toward holistic wellness–especially as it relates to travel. The new hotels have fitness facilities, in-room exercise zones and organic, ethically sourced foods. The brand also has various wellness initiatives, including bedrooms with plush bedding, aromatherapy and lighting options.
IHG currently has 32 hotels operating under four brands across New Zealand and Australia: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express with 14 more in the pipeline including Hotel Indigo.
This is the second time IHG has partnered with Australian private equity and investment firm Pro-invest Group. During their first deal in October 2014, IHG invested in the firm's A$150-million Australian Hospitality Opportunity Fund. The investor developed a portfolio of 15 Holiday Inn Express hotels across Asia under the AHO fund. Pro-invest intended to increase the low hotel stock under international brands, especially in the select-service sector. The first Australian Holiday Inn Express opened in Sydney, Macquarie Park in 2015 while the second opened in Brisbane, Spring Hill in early 2016.