A Hotel For Every Trip: Why IHG & FCBT Are A Natural Match For Business Travel
Not every business trip looks the same. A regional sales rep bouncing between three cities in four days has different needs to a senior exec flying into Singapore for a week of client dinners — and both look nothing like a leadership team descending on a conference venue for a multi-day offsite. That's exactly the challenge a limited hotel network can't solve.
Not every business trip looks the same. A regional sales rep bouncing between three cities in four days has different needs to a senior exec flying into Singapore for a week of client dinners — and both look nothing like a leadership team descending on a conference venue for a multi-day offsite. That's exactly the challenge a limited hotel network can't solve.
The FCBT + IHG Partnership
IHG Hotels & Resorts is one of the world's largest hotel groups, with 20 brands spanning budget to luxury across more than 100 countries. Through FCBT's HotelsPlus programme, Australian businesses can access IHG's full portfolio — with benefits including complimentary Wi-Fi, flexible cancellation, and room upgrades where available — all managed by a dedicated Travel Manager who knows your travellers' preferences before you've even asked.
Whatever the trip, there's an IHG hotel built for it. Here's a closer look at the portfolio.
IHG at a Glance: Scale That Matters
Size isn't everything in corporate travel — but global footprint matters when your team is heading somewhere off the beaten track. A few numbers from IHG's At-A-Glance overview (as at 31 March 2025):
With 4,487 hotels in the Americas, 1,371 across EMEA and Asia, and 810 in Greater China, the network covers the routes that matter most to Australian businesses — from APAC corridors to transatlantic connections.
That pipeline of 2,265 hotels in development also matters: it means IHG is expanding in the regions that are growing in importance for Australian corporate travel, including Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
A Brand for Every Type of Business Traveller
The practical value of IHG's portfolio breadth is that your travel program doesn't have to compromise. There's a brand for the frugal, the frequent, and the particular — often within a short walk of each other in major business hubs.
Budget & Essentials
Holiday Inn Express (named World's Leading Budget Hotel Brand at the World Travel Awards — for the fourth consecutive year) is the workhorse of the portfolio. Clean, consistent, and well-located, it's built for travellers who need a reliable base without the frills — which, for most road warriors on a tight schedule, is exactly what's required.
Premium & Productive
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts (recognised as the World's Leading Business Hotel Brand at the World Travel Awards, also in its fourth consecutive year of recognition) is the natural choice for client-facing trips where the accommodation is part of the impression. Think CBD locations, executive floors, business centres, and the kind of breakfast meeting room that doesn't require an apology.
voco hotels — recipient of the World's Leading Premium Hotel Brand recognition for the same four-year run — occupies the premium mid-tier with a personality that suits travellers who want something with a bit of character. Boutique feel, global consistency.
The Full Spectrum
Beyond these flagship brands, the IHG portfolio includes:
- Crowne Plaza — a long-standing corporate favourite, purpose-built for business guests
- Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants — design-led lifestyle hotels for travellers who care about the experience as much as the meeting
- Hotel Indigo — neighbourhood-anchored boutique properties, ideal for longer stays or bleisure trips
- Six Senses and Regent — at the ultra-luxury end, for senior leaders where the stay itself matters
- Staybridge Suites and Atwell Suites — extended-stay options for project-based travel
The Kimpton Tokyo Hotel – design-led for travellers who care about the experience as much as the meeting
Something New at the Top End: Noted Collection™
In February 2026, IHG launched its newest brand — Noted Collection™ — positioned in the upscale to upper-upscale segment and designed around a simple idea: some hotels are genuinely one-of-a-kind, and they deserve a brand that says so.
Noted Collection is aimed at distinctive, high-quality independent hotels that retain their individual character while connecting to IHG's commercial and loyalty infrastructure. IHG expects to grow the brand to more than 150 properties globally over the next decade, rolling out initially across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
For business travellers who've grown tired of cookie-cutter stays — or who have clients worth impressing — Noted Collection adds a curated option to the mix that sits between the personality of a boutique independent and the reliability of a global network.
Travelling Responsibly: Sustainability in Action
Corporate sustainability reporting is no longer optional for most ASX-listed businesses and many of their suppliers. Where your team stays increasingly appears in ESG reporting, which means the environmental credentials of your hotel program now land on the CFO's desk alongside the travel spend.
IHG is taking this seriously. Two recent milestones are worth noting:
🌞Low Carbon Pioneer - Asia's First
In October 2025, Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay became the first IHG hotel in Asia to join the Low Carbon Pioneer programme — a growing global community of IHG properties that operate without on-site fossil fuel combustion and are backed by renewable energy. The hotel features a fully electric kitchen, hot water heat pumps, solar glazing, and an intelligent building management system. For Australian businesses with Singapore on their travel schedule, it's a meaningful accommodation choice.
🏅Meeting For Good - Gold Medal Recognition
IHG's Meeting for Good programme — which supports event planners in delivering more sustainable event experiences across 400+ participating hotels — was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Sustainability Initiative at Northstar's 2025 Stella Awards. For businesses planning group travel or off-sites, this is a useful credential: it means IHG venues have been independently assessed for their sustainability outcomes, not just their sustainability intentions.
If your business is building out its ESG travel policy — or needs to report on accommodation emissions — this is the kind of supplier-level transparency that makes that work easier. FCBT's sustainability reporting can help capture and contextualise this data within your travel programme.
How to Book IHG Hotels Through FCBT
FCBT clients access IHG properties through their dedicated Travel Manager, who handles every detail — from rate negotiation and room preferences to HotelsPlus benefits and loyalty point tracking. There's no portal to navigate, no rates to compare. Your Travel Manager does that work, so your team can focus on the trip.
HotelsPlus benefits available across FCBT's hotel network include:
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Free breakfast (where available)
- Flexible cancellation
- Room upgrades where available
- Bonus loyalty points
IHG One Rewards members get an added layer of value: loyalty points are captured automatically through your traveller profile, with no risk of them slipping through the cracks of a self-managed booking. Conditions apply.
The voco Auckland Hotel offers premium mid-tier comfort with a boutique feel
The Right Stay For Every trip
From a clean, efficient Holiday Inn Express in Singapore to a Kimpton with character in New York, or a Crowne Plaza conference venue in Sydney — IHG's 20-brand portfolio means there's a hotel built for whatever the trip demands. Paired with FCBT's HotelsPlus programme and a Travel Manager who knows your travellers, that breadth becomes a practical tool, not just a catalogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which IHG brands are best suited to business travellers?
It depends on the trip and the traveller. InterContinental is the benchmark for executive and client-facing stays. Crowne Plaza and voco are strong mid-range choices. Holiday Inn Express is the go-to for efficient, budget-conscious travel. Kimpton and Hotel Indigo suit travellers who value character and neighbourhood connectivity.
How does IHG One Rewards work for business travellers?
IHG One Rewards allows guests to earn points on qualifying stays, which can be redeemed for future hotel nights. When booking through FCBT, loyalty programme details are stored in your traveller profile, so points are captured automatically — no manual tracking required.
Can I book IHG hotels through Flight Centre Business Travel?
Yes. FCBT's Travel Managers handle IHG bookings as part of the broader accommodation service. HotelsPlus benefits — including flexible cancellation, complimentary Wi-Fi, and room upgrades where available — apply across FCBT's hotel network. Conditions apply.
What is the IHG Meeting for Good program?
Meeting for Good is IHG's initiative supporting event and meeting planners in delivering more sustainable event experiences. More than 400 IHG hotels participate in the program, which received a Gold Medal for Best Sustainability Initiative at Northstar's 2025 Stella Awards.
What is the Noted Collection by IHG?
Noted Collection is IHG's newest brand, launched in February 2026. It sits in the upscale to upper-upscale segment and brings distinctive, one-of-a-kind independent hotels into the IHG system. The brand is expected to grow to 150+ properties globally over the next decade.
How is IHG addressing sustainability in its hotel portfolio?
Through its Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan, IHG is expanding its Low Carbon Pioneer programme — a global community of energy-efficient, fossil-fuel-free properties backed by renewable energy. The first hotel in Asia to join the programme was Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay in October 2025.