ISHC - The International Society of Hospitality Consultants | ISHC.com

Crowne Plaza by IHG Reveals a New Era of Blended Travel with Demand for Far-Reaching Flexibility on Top of Traditional Work-Life Integration

With thoughtfully designed spaces and guest experiences focused on connection, Crowne Plaza remains a top choice for hybrid travellers in the Middle East
12 May 2025

Crowne Plaza by IHG – one of the world's largest premium hotel brands and a thought-leader in the blended travel space – has released its second white paper: Leading the Charge in Blended Travel.

The report unveils a major shift since its 2022 report, driven by a new breed of companies and individuals seeking far-reaching flexibility that extends beyond traditional work-life balance and into a holistic approach focused on personal growth, mind-body equity, and connection when travelling.

To gauge the global reach of this trend, Crowne Plaza commissioned a YouGov survey of over 12,000 people across Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., the U.S., U.K., Germany, Australia, Singapore, Japan, and India.

The findings revealed 70 per cent of respondents in the U.A.E. and 65 per cent in KSA agree they see greater benefits and flexibility in blended travel compared to five years ago, confirming travellers are more eager than ever before to use their time away to achieve broader personal goal, especially in the GCC region. In the UAE, 30 per cent of respondents to the YouGov survey said they had previously experienced blended travel, increasing to 32 per cent of respondents from KSA.

Flexibility in where and when people work is now an expectation for today's professional. Crowne Plaza has tracked the evolution of work-leisure integration for years. Blended travel has shifted from a trend to a permanent way of life—whether it's extending a business trip, working remotely from a dream destination, or finding inspiration on the go. As this shift evolves and becomes more sophisticated, we're not just responding to it—we're actively shaping the future of it by reimagining Crowne Plaza hotel designs, creating curated social spaces, and rolling out purpose-driven experiences that support a more dynamic, fulfilling way of traveling. Ginger Taggart, Vice President of Brand Management – Global Premium Brands, IHG Hotels & Resorts


The Evolution of Blended Travel

The Leading the Charge in Blended Travel white paper reveals four emerging trends driving the shift:

Crowne Plaza Unveils Global Refresh to Meet Needs of Modern Travellers

Since launching the first business-class hotel in 1983, Crowne Plaza has remained a bold, inventive leader in the hospitality industry. Crowne Plaza is never standing still – always looking to the future – passionate about meeting the evolving needs of travellers on a global scale. From enhanced guest room zoning to reimagined Meetings & Events, Crowne Plaza's continues to stay ahead of consumer expectations with a new modern design and guest experience. This includes Crowne Plaza Jeddah Al Salam, which is dedicated to providing seamless business and event services in the region.

Currently, more than 60 per cent of properties across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific will have seen a renovation by the end of 2026, and in the Americas, 70 per cent of Crowne Plaza properties in the Americas are new to the system or have undergone a renovation. This global revitalisation positions Crowne Plaza to accelerate IHG's growth in the global blended travel market, which is projected to grow from USD$315 billion in 2022 to more than USD$731 billion by 2032.

With more than 400 properties across 67 countries, and steady demand from owners and guests, the brand's accelerated growth plan includes the addition of 140* properties in the pipeline – expanding its current system size by more than 35 per cent.

To learn more or to book a stay, visit https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/reservation or download the IHG One Rewards mobile app.

*System and pipeline data as of Q3 2024 unless noted otherwise.

Methodology

The consumer research was conducted by YouGov between 17th December 2024 – 13th January 2025 with a sample of 12,184 adults in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the U.A.E. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults (aged 18+), respective of their countries.

The Crowne Plaza white paper includes a survey of 296 IHG business and leisure travelers from the U.S. and U.K. conducted with Material via the IHG One Rewards online community between August 28 and September 5, 2024.

Travel trends were identified by Stylus, the expert source of trend and insights, using its proprietary six stage qualitative trend methodology, consolidating new, emerging consumer and traveller trends from its global tracking of consumer lifestyle, product, service and engagement signals.

About IHG®

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Organization

IHG Hotels & Resorts
www.ihgplc.com/
Windsor Dials 1 Arthur Road
Windsor Berkshire, SL4 1RS
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)871 942
Fax: +44 (0)871 942 9101
Follow us on:
TwitterFacebookLinkedInYoutube

Recent News

IHG Hotels & Resorts and Long-Term Partner, Salter Brothers, to Deliver a Number of Major Luxury & Lifestyle Hotels in Australia
21 May 2025

Holiday Inn Express unveils the 5.0 “Dawn”
15 May 2025

IHG Hotels & Resorts and Ashaad Company Announces Three New Hotel Signings across Jeddah and Al Khobar
13 May 2025



powered by
Powered by Hsyndicate