Head to head · Hospitality✓ VERIFIED · 2026-07-12
IHG Hotels vs Best Western: units, growth & AI adoption
IHG Hotels leads on AI adoption (74/100 vs 58/100), while IHG Hotels is the larger system by unit count (6,300+ vs 4,300+). IHG Hotels is growing faster year-over-year (+3.8%). Data verified Q3 2026.
| Metric | IHG Hotels | Best Western |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Hospitality | Hospitality |
| Headquarters | UK | USA |
| Units (approx.) | 6,300+ ◂ | 4,300+ |
| Unit growth YoY | +3.8% ◂ | +1.9% |
| AI Adoption Score | 74/100 ◂ | 58/100 |
| Operations AI | 72 ◂ | 54 |
| Marketing AI | 76 ◂ | 62 |
| Training AI | 68 ◂ | 52 |
| Data infrastructure | 78 ◂ | 62 |
| Region | Europe | North America |
| Index rank | #10 ◂ | #32 |
IHG Hotels
Holiday Inn parent with strong Greater-China franchising; AI concierge (with Google) and revenue-management systems across the estate.
FULL IHG HOTELS PROFILE →Best Western
Membership-model hotel brand; AI adoption moderate — revenue tools and chatbot booking, thinner data infrastructure than the majors.
FULL BEST WESTERN PROFILE →Franchise Intelligence Index
Compare every tracked system — full benchmarks, updated quarterly.
SOURCE: FRANCHISEPULSE FRANCHISE INTELLIGENCE INDEX, Q3 2026 · FREE TO CITE WITH ATTRIBUTION + LINK