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IHG Hotels and Resorts has signed Garner Southend, the latest under the Garner brand, as it continues to expand its conversion-led growth strategy.
Located on a prominent seafront location, the hotel will be a conversion of the former Palace Hotel.
The hotel, which is scheduled to open later this year, will include 137 guest rooms, a restaurant and bar, fitness centre, business centre and dedicated event facilities. IHG said the conversion will attract travellers for different purposes, including leisure and corporate events.
Garner, IHG’s fastest growing brand globally, uses a conversion-friendly development model, with over 190 open and pipeline properties worldwide. In 2025, conversion projects accounted for 52% of all IHG openings.
Willemijn Geels, vice president, Development, Europe, at IHG Hotels and Resorts, said:
“We are delighted to bring Garner to Southend-on-Sea, further strengthening the brand’s momentum across the UK and Ireland and responding to growing demand for high-quality, value-driven hospitality.
“Our owners are seeking faster routes to market and stronger returns on investment, and conversion opportunities such as this, supported by IHG’s powerful enterprise platform, help deliver exactly that.”
The hotel’s owner added: “This collaboration enables us to revitalise a well-known local asset while delivering a fresh, high-quality guest experience through a brand that is already gaining significant momentum.”
Allan Davidson, from Stonemoss Hospitality Asset Management, concluded: “Southend-on-Sea’s seafront location generates strong year-round demand from leisure and corporate travellers, and Garner by IHG’s conversion-led model allows us to capitalise on that quickly and efficiently.”
Garner Southend will join 36 open and pipeline Garner properties across the UK and Ireland.
