• HOTELS
HILTON: LIFESTYLE, SAUDI SCALE AND NEW BRANDS
IHG: PREMIUM BREADTH AND CONVERSION POWER
ACCOR: LUXURY STRENGTH, SAUDI DEPTH AND MIDSCALE ACCELERATION
IHG Hotels & Resorts passed the 7,000-hotel mark in Q1 2026, ending the quarter with 7,014 hotels and 1.036 million rooms globally. Its pipeline stood at 2,347 hotels and 343,000 rooms . The group’s growth is increasingly conversion-led, with conversions representing 35% of rooms opened and 53% of rooms signed in Q1. That conversion strength is important in the current climate. In markets where construction timelines, financing costs and uncertainty can delay new-build projects, conversion brands allow owners to bring assets into global systems faster. IHG’s Q1 performance also showed the breadth of its global base: EMEAA RevPAR rose 5.6% , and CEO Elie Maalouf said performance across the region was positive despite the impact of conflict in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia remains one of IHG’s most active regional markets. The company had 46 hotels operating in the kingdom and 60 hotels in the pipeline over the next three to five years, according to its late-2025 Saudi update. Planned openings include Holiday Inn Riyadh Rose Yard , a 106-key hotel due in late 2026, Crowne Plaza Al Khobar Al Bandariyah , a 232-key hotel expected to open in Q1 2027, and EVEN Hotel Dammam , marking a Middle East first for IHG’s wellness-focused brand. IHG is also building in Madinah and Jeddah. Crowne Plaza Madinah Al Haramain , a 383-key hotel opposite the Haramain train station, is scheduled to open in 2026, while three additional Saudi signings with Ashaad Company will add more than 1,700 rooms between 2028 and 2030. Those include Hotel Indigo Jeddah Gate, InterContinental Al Khobar Al Hamra and voco Al Khobar Al Andalus. Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said the signings strengthen the group’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 tourism ambitions.
Hilton also entered 2026 with a record pipeline. At the end of Q1, it had more than 9,200 properties and 1.3-million-plus rooms globally, with a development pipeline of 3,768 hotels and 527,000 rooms across 129 countries and territories. Almost half of its pipeline rooms were under construction and more than half were outside the US. Hilton president and CEO Chris Nassetta said the company had the “largest pipeline in our history” and expected net unit growth of 6-7% in 2026 and beyond. Hilton’s Middle East story is particularly focused on Saudi Arabia. The company has 21 hotels operating in the kingdom and 83 more under development , representing more than 22,000 rooms and more than $8 billion in owner investment. Around two-thirds of Hilton’s Saudi pipeline is already under construction. Carlos Khneisser, Vice President, Development, Middle East & Africa, Hilton, said Saudi Arabia is seeing “incredible momentum”, with Hilton introducing new brands and expanding into more regional cities. The brand mix is widening. Conrad Riyadh Laysen Valley is expected to open in 2026, while Tempo by Hilton Riyadh Al Narjis, a 135-room hotel scheduled for 2029, will mark Tempo’s Middle East and Africa debut. Hilton is also expanding in Makkah and Madinah, with properties including Spark by Hilton Makkah Aziziyah and Diyar Ajwa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Madinah. Lifestyle is another priority. Hilton has more than 100 lifestyle properties trading in EMEA and a further 100 in the pipeline , with plans to more than double its lifestyle presence across the region. Simon Vincent, President, EMEA, Hilton, said changing guest expectations are fuelling demand for “distinct, design- led stays.”
Accor’s H1 2026 results underline the group's global strength. RevPAR was up 2.2% globally, up to 4.6% excluding the Middle East. Chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin said strong momentum in other regions had more than offset the Middle East conflict and looking ahead, Accor was "fully focused" on executing its strategic roadmap. In H1, Accor had 5,835 hotels ( 881,928 rooms) , with a pipeline of 1,595 more ( 268,000 rooms) . It opened 109 hotels and more than 14,00,00 rooms up to the end of June. The group operates more than 379 properties in the Middle East (101,000 keys) with 194 properties (44,000 keys) in the pipeline. Luxury remains a key driver in the region, but the fastest growth is coming from the midscale and upper-midscale segments. Saudi remains central: the group has 48 operating hotels ( 21,900+ keys) in the kingdom and plans to add at least 58 more ( 17,300+ keys) . The 2026 opening slate shows Accor’s regional breadth and includes: Raffles Jeddah ; Raffles The Red Sea and Fairmont The Red Sea , while Sofitel Riyadh Hotel & Convention Centre will bring 388 rooms and a large luxury convention centre to the capital. Further ahead, Accor’s Saudi development map includes Faena The Red Sea, SLS The Red Sea, Mantis Al Baha, and the 1,141-room Sofitel Jabal Omar Makkah, to name a few. In addition, the first TRIBE hotel in the Middle East is planned for King Salman Park in Riyadh. Elsewhere, Dubai’s Deira Waterfront cluster will add 999 keys across six hotels and Accor brands; and in the Northern Emirates, Saij Mountain Lodge by Mantis will introduce a 70-suite eco-luxury retreat to Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah - the UAE’s highest peak. Set to open this year, the 70-suite property is built into the mountain ridgelines to offer an immersive, sustainable, and conservation-led desert and mountain escape.
Tempo by Hilton Riyadh Al Narjis
Hotel Indigo New Cairo
Sofitel Riyadh Hotel and Convention Centre
HILTON
IHG
ACCOR Current portfolio, global 5,815 hotels, 879,676 rooms Pipeline, global 1,545 hotels, around 260,000 rooms Current portfolio, EMEA 275 operating properties across all brands Pipeline, EMEA 111 properties Key regional moves Raffles Jeddah; Raffles The Red Sea; Fairmont The Red Sea; Sofitel Riyadh; TRIBE Riyadh; Sofitel Jabal Omar Makkah.
Current portfolio, global 9,200+ properties, 1.3mn+ rooms Pipeline, global 3,768 hotels, 527,000 rooms
Current portfolio, global 7,014 hotels, 1.036mn rooms Pipeline, global 2,347 hotels, 343,000 rooms Current portfolio, EMEA 1,491 properties, 290,383 rooms Pipeline, EMEA 656 properties, 118,700 rooms Key regional moves
Current portfolio, EMEA 1,000 hotels, 77 countries
Pipeline, EMEA 500+ properties Key regional moves Conrad Riyadh Laysen Valley; Tempo by Hilton Riyadh Al Narjis; Spark by Hilton Makkah Aziziyah; continued lifestyle growth across EMEA.
Holiday Inn Riyadh Rose Yard; Crowne Plaza Al Khobar Al Bandariyah; Crowne Plaza Madinah Al Haramain; Hotel Indigo Jeddah Gate.
ATM YEARBOOK 2026 | 93
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