Who Owns Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts?

Crowne Plaza was founded in 1983 by Holiday Corporation as a premium hotel brand focused on business travelers and meeting facilities. The brand pioneered the concept of business-class hotels, introducing dedicated spaces and services for corporate travelers when most hotel brands offered limited differentiation between business and leisure accommodations.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Crowne Plaza expanded rapidly across North America and internationally, establishing itself as a leading business hotel chain. The brand developed its reputation for meeting facilities, business services, and operational excellence while growing its presence in key global business centers.

In 1998, IHG acquired Crowne Plaza as part of its acquisition of Holiday Corporation, providing the brand with substantial financial resources and global distribution capabilities. The acquisition enabled Crowne Plaza to accelerate its global expansion while maintaining its business-focused positioning and service standards.

During the 2000s and 2010s, Crowne Plaza continued its growth, adding properties in major business centers, convention destinations, and urban locations worldwide, reaching the milestone of 400 properties by 2020. The brand maintained its focus on business travelers and meeting facilities while gradually evolving its service concept.

In 2021, responding to shifting travel patterns accelerated by the global pandemic, Crowne Plaza launched a comprehensive brand refresh, introducing a new visual identity and enhanced guest-facing programs. This refresh reimagined the brand's positioning to address the emerging trend of blended travel – the integration of business and leisure purposes within a single trip.

By 2025, Crowne Plaza had established itself as a thought leader in the blended travel space, commissioning research on changing traveler behaviors and implementing new design concepts across its portfolio. The brand's evolution from purely business-focused to accommodating blended travel needs reflects its adaptability to changing market demands while preserving its premium positioning within IHG's brand architecture.