Soft brands will enlarge IHG’s luxury, lifestyle space

IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to enter a new soft brand in the luxury and lifestyle sector in the coming weeks, joining a trend with rivals Accor Hotels and Hilton Hotels. While CEO Keith Barr once warned against brand bloat in the industry, he now cites “strong demand and appetite” for the upscale genre and the flexibility afforded owners by soft branding.