Regent Hotels & Resorts is joining IHG Rewards Club as one of its luxury brands.
As a result, IHG Rewards members will be able to earn and redeem IHG Rewards points at each of the brand’s six international properties beginning February 1.
The move comes after IHG’s announcement in March 2018 that the company acquired a 51% stake in Regent Hotels & Resorts for $39 million in cash.
The Announcement
IHG announced the addition to Rewards members via email on January 21, 2019. Here’s what it said:
It is our pleasure to introduce you to Regent® Hotels & Resorts – your newest opportunity to earn and redeem with IHG® Rewards Club beginning February 1. At Regent, you’ll be welcomed by enchanting views that stretch as far as your imagination. Intimate spaces designed for total relaxation. And sensational experiences you’ll remember for a lifetime.
Stay in the Regent Beijing, an imperial sanctuary set against the backdrop of the Forbidden City, or escape to an urban oasis in the illustrious Regent Singapore. With locations suited for every desire, Regent is your gateway to stays both exhilarating and serene.
Indulge yourself while you earn and redeem at this unparalleled collection of hotels and resorts. We look forward to bringing you into a new era of luxury.
Regent Hotels and Resorts has locations in Beijing, Berlin, Chongqing, Porto Montenegro, Singapore, and Taipei. They describe their properties as “intimate spaces designed for total relaxation.”
Regent Hotels Future
Regent Hotels has future properties planned for Phu Quoc in 2019 and Jakarta in 2020.
Meanwhile with a new focus on luxury, IHG intends to grow the brand to over 40 hotels over the years.
My take: The company really wants to showcase this brand. IHG also plans to overhaul the iconic Intercontinental Hong Kong in 2020 and reopen it as a Regent Hotel in 2021.
So the Intercontinental name could be hanging in the balance. If the refresh of the Intercontinental Hong Kong goes as planned, more of the same kind of properties could be rebranded.
This direction may also allow IHG to expand the reach of the Regent Hotels name without a lot of new hotels breaking ground. That, of course, is all to be seen.
Regent describes its locations as “intimate spaces designed for total relaxation.”
Moreover, Intercontinental Hotels Group will have the right to acquire the remaining 49% interest of Regent Hotels in a phased manner beginning in 2026.
That means IHG could eventually have total control of the Regent Hotels brand and management contracts.
What’s going to be interesting here is the redemption rates of Regent Hotels in the IHG Rewards ecosystem.
At the beginning of 2018, IHG Rewards raised their top redemption level to 70,000 points. Because of that, 13 properties entered the top level. That announcement came alongside category changes to nearly 700 of its properties.
With the addition of Regents Hotels, will there be a new top category? I’ll be keeping my eyes open.
Featured image courtesy of Regent Hotels & Resorts.
