IHG Signs Franchise Agreements for Three New Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Spain

In Brief: IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed franchise agreements for three new-build Holiday Inn Express hotels in Madrid, Málaga, and Barcelona, totaling 653 rooms, in partnership with Tikehau Capital and Quest Capital.

Rendering of the Holiday Inn Express Madrid – Julián Camarillo – Image Credit IHG Hotels & Resorts

IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed franchise agreements for three new-build Holiday Inn Express hotels in Spain, adding 653 rooms to its pipeline. The agreements cover properties in Madrid, Málaga, and Barcelona and are part of a partnership with Tikehau Capital and Quest Capital under the Selecto select service hotel platform. These are the first hotels signed under the Selecto platform, with further signings expected.

The Holiday Inn Express Madrid – Julián Camarillo will feature 244 rooms in the MadBit neighborhood, between the city center and Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. The hotel will include the fifth-generation (Gen 5) brand design, an outdoor swimming pool, and a fitness area. It will be the largest Holiday Inn Express in the Iberian Peninsula and is expected to open in the first quarter of 2028.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Málaga – Palacio de Congresos will offer 259 rooms, including 52 suites, between Málaga’s airport and city center, adjacent to the FYCMA Trade Fair and Congress Centre. Amenities will include an outdoor swimming pool, a sun deck, a fitness area, and Generation 5-designed public spaces. The hotel is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2029 and will be IHG’s third property in Málaga.

The Holiday Inn Express Barcelona – Fira will have 150 rooms next to Fira de Barcelona, between Barcelona El Prat Airport and the city center. The hotel is planned to open in the first quarter of 2029 and will be IHG’s 12th property in the Barcelona area, including both open and pipeline hotels.

IHG currently operates more than 20 Holiday Inn Express hotels in Spain, with four additional properties in the pipeline, and has over 340 open and pipeline Holiday Inn Express properties across Europe. The three new signings represent the largest single-partnership signing for the brand in Spain to date.

Barcelona welcomed 16 million visitors in 2025, while Málaga province recorded over 6.25 million tourists and 22.1 million overnight stays. Madrid’s airport submarket has experienced record-breaking demand from both corporate and leisure segments.

Holiday Inn Express has 3,304 open hotels and 666 hotels in the pipeline globally.