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IHG signs Holiday Inn Express Cockburn to expand Western Australia pipeline
IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed Holiday Inn Express Cockburn, strengthening its Western Australia development pipeline through a new partnership with SKS Group. The 170-key franchised hotel is planned as part of a mixed-use project in Perth’s southern corridor. With the opening targeted for September 2026, the property is designed to capture demand tied to major employment and infrastructure hubs. The deal also marks SKS Group’s first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Australia.
Planned approximately 26 kilometres from Perth’s CBD, Holiday Inn Express Cockburn is being positioned to benefit from long-term growth fundamentals in the Cockburn area. The hotel will sit close to key economic drivers including the Australian Marine Complex, a major defence, shipbuilding and industrial centre, and the Murdoch Medical Precinct, a leading hub for health, education and technology. For IHG, the location supports a strategy focused on expanding globally recognised brands in markets where infrastructure investment and employment density can sustain consistent midweek and shoulder-season demand.
The project is part of a new mixed-use development currently under construction, featuring a purpose-built hotel tower alongside a separate residential tower. That configuration is intended to create a year-round base of activity while supporting the operational efficiency that has helped make Holiday Inn Express one of IHG’s fastest-growing essentials brands. Matt Tripolone highlighted the signing as a strategically important addition to IHG’s Western Australia portfolio, reinforcing the company’s focus on scalable brands with proven operating models.
For SKS Group, the decision to align the development with Holiday Inn Express reflects an investment thesis centred on brand strength, distribution reach, and clear guest proposition in a high-visibility corridor. Eugene Lim noted the commercial rationale behind repositioning the project to the brand, pointing to the performance track record and platform advantages associated with IHG’s system. The partnership also underscores how franchised structures continue to attract developers seeking brand-led demand generation while retaining ownership and asset-control benefits.
The signing lands as Holiday Inn Express continues to expand globally, with more than 3,275 hotels open and 664 in the pipeline worldwide. In the Australasia & Pacific region, the brand has 11 hotels open, and the Cockburn project adds another step in building out coverage where guests expect reliable, value-forward stays with streamlined service. For Perth’s southern corridor, the arrival of Holiday Inn Express Cockburn is positioned to add fresh supply aligned with business travel needs while also supporting leisure demand moving through the region’s transport links and evolving commercial precincts.
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