Saudi Arabia to Welcome its IHG’s First Noted Collection Hotel in Riyadh by 2026

Written By: Gishan Das

Gishan Das

Gishan Das is a dedicated graduate with academic backgrounds in History and Political Science and practical experience in journalism and digital content creation. He completed his History Honours from Serampore College under the University of Calcutta and Political Science Honours from Indira Gandhi National Open University in 2025. His academic credentials are supported by professional certifications including a B2 level Certification in French language, NISM Financial Education certification in collaboration with the Aditya Birla Group alongside Gishan has strong expertise in journalism, news research and SEO-based content writing. He has demonstrated skills in news analysis, fact-checking, headline creation, digital storytelling and search-optimized reporting, which are also reflected in the journalism and media skills

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August 13, 2026 8:48 PM

The growing hospitality sector of Saudi Arabia is getting an additional international hotel brand with the launch of the new Noted Collection brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts into the Middle Eastern country. The company has inked a franchise deal with Morina Development & Investment Co. LLC to launch Cantonal Hotel Riyadh Noted Collection by IHG, which will be the first hotel of the premium collection brand in the region. The hotel is slated to be launched in the second half of 2026 after the conversion of the existing property.

The project will offer 107 rooms in the premium segment of Riyadh’s hospitality market and will be located in Al Olaya, which is one of the important commercial districts in the Saudi capital city. The project comes at a time when Riyadh is witnessing more corporate activities, tourism investments, entertainment developments and international visitors due to the transformation being brought about by Saudi Vision 2030. The company has 48 hotels in operation and another 62 properties in development across Saudi Arabia.

Noted Collection Makes Its Middle East Debut in Saudi Arabia

The Riyadh signing carries significance beyond the addition of another hotel. Noted Collection was recently introduced as IHG’s 21st hotel brand and has been designed around independently styled premium properties rather than conventional uniform hotel formats. Individual hotels retain their distinctive identity, local character and design narrative while receiving access to IHG’s distribution infrastructure, commercial capabilities and IHG One Rewards.

Cantonal Hotel therefore becomes an important early test of this model in the Middle East, where international operators are increasingly competing for owners seeking both individuality and the commercial strength associated with major global hospitality networks.

A 107-Room Conversion Brings Fresh Premium Supply to Al Olaya

Cantonal Hotel Riyadh Noted Collection by IHG is scheduled to enter the market following a conversion rather than construction of an entirely new hotel. This approach can allow an existing property to transition into an international brand system while retaining elements that support its individual identity.

Once operational, the hotel will contain 107 guestrooms, alongside a main restaurant, café, rooftop lounge, meeting facilities and an indoor swimming pool. IHG expects the property to serve both business and leisure travellers, giving the hotel a mixed demand profile in an area closely associated with commerce, offices, retail and urban lifestyle activity.

Central Riyadh Location Targets Business and Lifestyle Travellers

Location will form a major part of the hotel’s commercial proposition. The property will stand in Al Olaya, close to prominent Riyadh destinations including Kingdom Centre Tower, Al Faisaliah Tower, King Abdullah Financial District and King Fahad National Library.

IHG places the journey to King Khalid International Airport at approximately 30 minutes, although actual travel time will naturally vary according to traffic and conditions. The position could help Cantonal Hotel appeal to corporate travellers seeking convenient access to Riyadh’s major business zones while also serving visitors exploring the capital’s expanding leisure, restaurant and entertainment landscape.

Saudi Aviation Growth Strengthens Riyadh’s Hotel Demand Potential

Riyadh’s hospitality growth is being supported by rapidly expanding aviation activity. Official figures from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics show that King Khalid International Airport handled 40.8 million passengers during 2025, making it the Kingdom’s second-busiest airport by passenger volume.

Across Saudi airports, passenger traffic reached 140.9 million, rising 9.6% from 2024, while international passenger movements climbed 9.4% to 75.8 million. Saudi airports served 176 destinations across 66 countries during the year. That connectivity strengthens the commercial environment for internationally branded hotels serving Riyadh’s growing mix of corporate, leisure and event-related demand.

Riyadh Already Supports a Large and Competitive Accommodation Market

The new signing enters a hospitality sector that already contains significant supply. Saudi Ministry of Tourism figures show that Riyadh, including Diriyah Governorate, had 943 licensed tourism accommodation establishments by the end of the first half of 2025. Of these, 200 were hotels, while 743 fell into the apartments and other accommodation category.

During the same six-month period, tourism accommodation across Riyadh and Diriyah recorded an overall 58.3% occupancy rate, an average daily rate of SAR501 and RevPAR of SAR292. Cantonal Hotel will therefore enter an established market where location, service, brand distribution and distinctive positioning can become important competitive factors.

Saudi Arabia’s Wider Hospitality Sector Continues Rapid Expansion

The broader national numbers also show why international hotel groups are expanding aggressively. By the fourth quarter of 2025, Saudi Arabia had 5,937 licensed tourism hospitality establishments, up 34.2% from 4,425 a year earlier. Hotels represented 2,847 establishments, while serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities totalled 3,090.

Hotel room occupancy reached 57.3% in Q4 2025, compared with 56% during the corresponding period in 2024. Employment in tourism activities also exceeded 1.03 million people during the quarter. The figures demonstrate both expanding supply and the increasing economic scale of the Kingdom’s tourism and hospitality industries.

Vision 2030 Keeps Tourism at the Centre of Economic Transformation

The hotel signing also sits within a much larger national tourism strategy. Saudi Vision 2030 states that the Kingdom received nearly 116 million domestic and international tourists in 2024, following its achievement of the earlier 100-million-tourist milestone ahead of schedule. Tourism’s direct contribution reached approximately 5% of national GDP in 2024, with Saudi Arabia working towards a 10% contribution by 2030.

By the end of August 2025, employment in tourism-related economic activities had surpassed one million jobs. New hotels in Riyadh therefore represent part of a considerably wider effort involving accommodation, aviation, destination investment, events, cultural development and private-sector participation.

IHG Uses Independent Identity to Compete in Premium Hospitality

The Noted Collection proposition differs from a traditional hotel brand that imposes a highly standardised identity across every property. IHG is instead targeting independent hotels that have their own stories, design personalities and relationships with their destinations. Owners can preserve greater individual character while joining IHG’s global commercial ecosystem and loyalty network.

This model could be particularly relevant in Saudi Arabia, where hospitality expansion is increasingly linked with local identity and destination-specific experiences. Saudi Vision 2030 itself emphasises tourism growth that remains connected to national culture while encouraging stronger private investment and international hospitality partnerships.

Morina Partnership Gives the Project a Local Development Foundation

The partnership with Morina Development & Investment Co. LLC combines local ownership and development interests with IHG’s international hotel operating infrastructure. Rather than replacing the identity of the property with a conventional global format, the arrangement is intended to position Cantonal Hotel as an individual premium hotel operating within the Noted Collection system.

IHG’s announcement indicates that the partners see growing demand in Riyadh for accommodation combining quality, local identity and distinctive character with the distribution reach and loyalty benefits available through a large international group. The hotel’s rooftop lounge, dining spaces and meeting areas will further broaden its appeal beyond overnight accommodation.

IHG Deepens Its Saudi Portfolio as Competition Accelerates

For IHG Hotels & Resorts, the signing strengthens an already substantial Saudi footprint. The group reported 48 operating hotels and 62 more in its pipeline in the Kingdom as of August 2026. Globally, IHG has 21 hotel brands, more than 7,000 operating hotels across over 100 countries, and approximately 2,400 properties in development. Its IHG One Rewards programme has more than 160 million members.

Bringing Noted Collection into Riyadh allows the company to expand not simply through additional room inventory, but through another brand segment aimed at owners and travellers interested in less standardised premium accommodation.

Cantonal Hotel Could Strengthen Riyadh’s Premium City-Stay Market

With its scheduled opening at the end of 2026, Cantonal Hotel is set to operate in one of the most dynamic urban hospitality markets in the Middle East. The Saudi capital is developing not only as a commercial centre but also as a tourist destination, entertainment market, and event hub, while improved aviation connectivity means an expanded pool of potential visitors. The Quality of Life program as part of Saudi Vision 2030 explicitly connects tourism with culture, sports, entertainment, and other aspects of an enhanced urban experience, further adding to the existing trends driving hotels in the capital city.

The Cantonal Hotel Riyadh Noted Collection by IHG will have just 107 rooms, but its strategic importance is far beyond that. It will bring the newest premium collection brand of IHG to the Middle East market, enhance the company’s pipeline in Saudi Arabia and test the new hotel concept focused on conversions, which involves both local identity and global reach. With the growth of the hotel market in Riyadh, its Al Olaya location, business facilities, premium offerings, and international loyalty membership may help it compete for more discerning travelers.

Image Source: IHG