voco has made its Europe debut with the opening of voco St. David’s, Cardiff.

The move comes hot on the heels of the brand’s first opening globally, voco Gold Coast in Australia earlier in November.

Just five months after the new upscale brand from InterContinental Hotels Group was launched in June 2018, these two hotel openings mark the brand’s rapid expansion.

The 142-room hotel sits on Cardiff Bay, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering guests stunning views of the waterfront, including the murmuration of starlings over the water at dusk.

With private balconies and a coastal setting, the hotel provides guests with a tranquil place to stay, close to the city-centre of the Welsh capital.

The award-winning Marine Spa offers both local residents and guests from out of town the perfect spot to unwind, with comforting treatments sure to make guests come away feeling thoroughly pampered.

With eight different meeting spaces, the hotel’s experienced team can cater to a variety of events – from weddings of up to 220 guests to corporate meetings for up to 400 people.

The hotel, which was previously Principal St David’s Cardiff, has benefitted from the voco brand’s bold and distinctive design, with deep colours adding depth and warmth to public spaces and a touch of the brand’s charming character to guest rooms.

Karan Khanna, managing director, UK & Ireland, IHG, commented: “We launched the voco brand in June so it is fantastic to see the brand already getting a foothold in the UK market.

“With a focus on conversion opportunities, voco allows us to retain the existing charm of an independent hotel whilst also bringing the reassurance of a trusted brand, along with the power and strength of IHG’s systems.”

voco is focussed on conversion opportunities and strengthens IHG’s offer in the $40 billion upscale segment, which is expected to grow by a further $20 billion by 2025.

The new brand will drive significant incremental growth for IHG, with an expectation to open more than 200 voco hotels in attractive urban and leisure locations over the next ten years.