IHG Hotels and Resorts have been selected as the official hotel partner for Qatar Airways UK and Ireland Lions Tour.
The British and Irish Lions will return to Australia for the first time since June 12 this year, and will compete in six tournaments, with three Test matches against squash in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The tournament is expected to attract more than 40,000 tourists and fans from all over the country.
Building on two decades of relationships between IHG and Australian rugby Australia, the partnership will see IHG activations within the Lions Den and Wallabies fan areas of three cities, as well as the IHG brand and logo on Wallabies Match Shorts.
IHG reward loyalty members will be entitled to exclusive benefits and access opportunities, including wallet “don’t buy packages”, social media giveaways and commercial activation.
“The Lions Tour is known for celebrating sports history, excellence and performances across borders,” said Matt Tripolone, managing director of IHG Hotels and Resorts.
“The buzz has become obvious and we are extremely proud to be selected as the official hotel partner, providing a passionate home field for the team and fans while being able to connect our IHG reward members with an unmissable experience.”
Ben Calvely, CEO of the Lions UK and Ireland, said the partnership stems from shared values.
“The Lions Tour has many demands on players and staff, so it’s crucial that we make sure we’re outside of the home because of our partners at IHG,” he said.
“As record-breaking Lions fans travel in 2025, we also know that our loyal supporters will find many comforts in IHG’s portfolio.
“Everyone in the UK and Irish Lions is also committed to being proud of all the places we visited as we want to have a positive impact on the communities we are going to visit in Australia. I am pleased to say that this is also the spirit of sharing with Australia IHG and Rugby Australia.”
Phil Waugh, CEO of Rugby Australia, said: “We are delighted to be able to expand the long-term partnership between Rugby Australia and IHG into the highly anticipated Australian British and Ireland Lions Tour this year. The IHG Hotel provides our team with the perfect home to go all out and enable them to fully focus on their preparations and challenges.”
