Kew Green Holdings has become InterContinental Group’s largest franchise partner in Europe having purchased 19 Holiday Inn hotels from LRG Holdings.

The acquisition takes Kew’s number of owned Holiday Inn properties up to 38, with the business now controlling ventures in a number of key commercial regions across the UK.

The deal was completed with Christie & Co acting as advisers for LRG and Savills advising Kew on the purchase of the properties.

“This is an exciting acquisition for us which will enlarge our portfolio to 53 hotels with almost 6,700 bedrooms in total," said Paul Johnson, founder and CEO of Kew Green.

"These new hotels will all benefit from a comprehensive refurbishment programme to ensure they remain ‘Great Hotels Guests Love'.

“We have an excellent talent pool in our group and this acquisition will provide further career development opportunities for all our employees, both in the hotels and the central support team.”

The purchased properties will continue to operate under the Holiday Inn name following the new franchise agreement, while the hotels will also undergo refurbishment in the coming years.

Kew has grown prominently in recent times, making it a more visible marker on the landscape of hotel management and operations businesses in Europe. The company now has 3,600 staff across its estate.

The Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn express brands have proved popular with both domestic and international guests, with new figures revealing that Chinese visitors view Birmingham's three-star Holiday Inn Express offering as the best hotel in the UK.