IHG Hotels & Resorts And Hainan Airlines Launch Luxury Travel Upgrade For 2025, Merging Hospitality And Aviation Excellence

Image generated with Ai

IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hainan Airlines are elevating luxury travel in 2025 with a groundbreaking collaboration designed to blend world-class hospitality with exceptional aviation services. This new partnership combines the strengths of both brands, offering travelers a seamless and enhanced experience from the moment they step into the airport lounge to the moment they check into their hotel room. The initiative promises to redefine the travel journey, providing exclusive services such as co-branded airport lounges, curated menus, and elevated customer experiences that integrate the best of both hospitality and air travel.

IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hainan Airlines have taken their collaboration to new heights in 2025, following the success of their partnership initiated the previous year. Under the refreshed joint concept “Where Dreams Bloom, Journey to the Oasis,” the two brands have unveiled a series of upgraded travel experiences that blend hospitality and aviation excellence. The initiative introduces co-branded features such as an exclusive airport lounge and specially curated business class menus, offering travelers a more refined and culturally immersive journey.

This expanded alliance aligns with IHG’s celebration of fifty years in Greater China and underscores both companies’ commitment to enhancing the entire travel journey. By merging their strengths in accommodation and air travel, IHG and Hainan Airlines aim to create a holistic, elevated travel experience that emphasizes innovation, comfort, and cultural connection.

Reimagining Ground-to-Air Luxury Travel with IHG and Hainan Airlines

In a dynamic collaboration aimed at redefining premium travel from ground to sky, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hainan Airlines have launched a new co-branded lounge in Terminal 2 of Shanghai Pudong International Airport. This milestone marks a significant expansion of their partnership, offering a seamless luxury journey from departure to destination. Travelers got a firsthand taste of this integrated experience through an exclusive flight aboard the specially branded ‘IHG Explorer’ aircraft bound for Sanya. Upon arrival, guests attended an elegant gala dinner titled ‘Where Dreams Bloom, Journey to the Oasis’ at the newly launched Kimpton Aqeos Hainan. The event showcased how the collaboration between IHG and Hainan Airlines creates a complete and elevated travel ecosystem, merging luxury hospitality with aviation excellence.

A Garden-Inspired Escape Before Takeoff

The co-branded airport lounge has been thoughtfully designed around the theme of a ‘Garden Oasis,’ capturing the serenity of IHG’s refined hospitality merged with Hainan Airlines’ artistic ‘Dream Feather’ motif. This tranquil sanctuary at Shanghai Pudong International Airport features multiple zones including a central buffet island, live culinary stations, and dedicated quiet areas for dining and relaxation. The ‘Back Garden’ concept, inspired by the ambiance of a luxury hotel, allows guests to unwind in comfort while preparing for their flight. IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite members enjoy exclusive access to this premium lounge, ensuring their experience begins well before boarding.

Signature Dining Experiences at Every Stage

The culinary offering at the lounge draws from Cai Feng Lou, IHG’s renowned Chinese fine dining brand. Passengers can indulge in dishes from the curated ‘10 Bites of Cai Feng Lou’ tasting menu, alongside local specialties such as deeply flavorful broth wontons and a custom-crafted coconut white tea. These unique menu items bring a taste of IHG’s culinary finesse into the airport experience.

Onboard, IHG and Hainan Airlines have co-developed a bespoke in-flight dining experience. Business class passengers traveling on domestic routes can savor ‘The Flavours of Suzhou and Hainan’ menu, which highlights a delicate blend of Cantonese culinary techniques, rich Huaiyang traditions, and seasonal ingredients from Hainan. This fusion of regional authenticity and culinary artistry elevates the in-flight meal to a gourmet experience.

Adding to this, IHG’s contemporary dining brand, CHAR Bar & Grill, has collaborated with Hainan Airlines to introduce a new intercontinental business class menu titled ‘Grilled & Gliding’. Emphasizing CHAR’s ‘new five senses’ philosophy, this offering features expertly grilled dishes prepared using local ingredients and innovative techniques. Passengers flying on key long-haul routes will enjoy a menu that pairs elevated Western cuisine with the airline’s refined service, delivering a truly global dining journey at 35,000 feet.

Transforming Travel Into a Luxury Ecosystem

This integrated approach by IHG and Hainan Airlines demonstrates a forward-thinking strategy to reimagine travel not as a series of disconnected moments, but as a continuous luxury experience. From the calm oasis of the airport lounge to the refined cabin environment and exclusive destination events, travelers are immersed in a journey curated with comfort, elegance, and innovation at its core.

By connecting the lounge atmosphere, in-flight experience, and post-arrival hospitality, the partnership introduces a new paradigm in premium travel. The launch of the IHG Explorer aircraft and its associated travel experiences symbolize a commitment to co-creating seamless transitions between ground and air, redefining what it means to travel in style.

Daniel Aylmer, CEO of IHG Greater China, said: “As we mark 50 years in Greater China, our commitment to understanding and exceeding guest expectations has never been stronger. This expanded partnership with Hainan Airlines reflects our shared ambition to integrate the travel journey and create inspiring, seamless experiences from departure to destination. Together, we are elevating the travel ecosystem through collaboration and innovation.”

At the press conference, Zhu Tao, Vice President of HNA Aviation Group and Chairman of Hainan Airlines, stated: “Since joining Liaoning Fangda Group on December 8th, 2021, HNA Aviation Group has embarked on a new chapter of development. Currently operating nearly 3,000 routes, HNA Aviation Group has accumulated over 22 million flight hours in domestic operations. Over the past three years, our performance has demonstrated consistent improvement, reflecting robust and positive growth momentum. Service excellence lies at the heart of Hainan Airlines’ competitive edge. This commitment has earned us the prestigious “SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline” for multiple consecutive years, along with retaining honors such as ‘ Best Business Class Comfort Amenities’ this year. These achievements stem from our relentless pursuit of perfection in service details and continuous innovation, all dedicated to delivering an unexpectedly comfortable journey for our passengers. Hainan Airlines and InterContinental Hotels Group share a long-standing and productive partnership. This upgraded collaboration marks a new milestone in our relationship, pioneering an innovative model that integrates aviation and travel experiences. Moving forward, HNA Aviation Group and InterContinental Hotels Group will join forces to transcend the boundaries between air and ground, seamlessly connecting five-star inflight experiences with premium hotel services throughout passengers’ end-to-end journey. Together, we aim to redefine the essence of flight and provide an integrated, high-quality travel experience.”

IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hainan Airlines have joined forces to revolutionize luxury travel in 2025, offering an upgraded experience that merges the best of hospitality and aviation. This collaboration introduces exclusive services like co-branded airport lounges and curated in-flight menus, ensuring seamless and elevated travel for guests. 

IHG’s strengthened collaboration with Hainan Airlines reinforces its enduring dedication to the Greater China region and reflects a mutual ambition to redefine conventional travel experiences. This strategic alliance is designed to offer more meaningful and seamless benefits to both loyalty program members. As the partnership progresses, IHG remains focused on its mission of delivering ‘True Hospitality for Good’, advancing innovation across its wide-ranging brand portfolio, and establishing new standards within the global travel landscape.