Six Continents

Six Continents was a large British-based hospitality company that operated across hotels, pubs, restaurants, and related leisure businesses. It was created in June 2000 after Bass plc sold its brewing operations to the Belgian brewer Interbrew, now known as AB InBev. The remaining hotel and pub assets were reorganized under the Six Continents name, creating a hospitality group with a substantial presence in the United Kingdom and an international hotel portfolio. The company combined several different types of hospitality activity. Its hotel interests included the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Staybridge Suites brands. These brands covered upscale international hotels, business-oriented accommodation, mainstream full-service properties, limited-service lodging, and extended-stay accommodation. Six Continents also owned, managed, or franchised a broad collection of British pub and restaurant concepts, including All Bar One, Browns, Edward's, Ember Inns, Harvester, Hollywood Bowl, It's A Scream, O'Neill's, Toby Carvery, and Vintage Inns. The coexistence of branded hotels and consumer-facing pub and restaurant businesses made Six Continents a diversified hospitality operator rather than a single-format hotel chain. A major expansion step came in April 2001, when Six Continents acquired the UK-based Posthouse Hotels business from Compass Group for £810 million. During the following year, the 79 acquired hotels were rebranded as Holiday Inn properties. The transaction strengthened the company's position in the mainstream hotel segment and extended the reach of one of its most recognizable hotel brands in the United Kingdom. Six Continents was a public company whose shares traded on the London Stock Exchange. It was also included in the FTSE 100 Index during its existence, reflecting the scale of the group at that time. Its corporate structure was ultimately transitional: the hotel and soft-drinks interests were separated from the pubs business in 2003. The pubs operation became Mitchells & Butlers, while the remaining hotel and soft-drinks business was renamed InterContinental Hotels Group. Six Continents therefore ceased to exist as an independent corporate identity, but its principal hotel assets and brands continued under InterContinental Hotels Group, while its pubs and restaurants continued under Mitchells & Butlers.

Six Continents emerged from the restructuring of Bass plc, a major British company with brewing, hotel, and pub interests. In June 2000, Bass sold its brewing business to the Belgian brewer Interbrew, which later became AB InBev. The hotel and pub assets that remained with Bass were placed under the Six Continents name. This created a new hospitality-focused group whose activities combined internationally recognized hotel brands with a substantial British pubs and restaurants division. The hotel portfolio included InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Staybridge Suites. These brands represented different parts of the accommodation market, from upscale and international hotels to mainstream, limited-service, and extended-stay formats. Six Continents operated through ownership, management, and franchising arrangements. Alongside hotels, the group operated or owned numerous UK consumer hospitality concepts, including All Bar One, Browns, Edward's, Ember Inns, Harvester, Hollywood Bowl, It's A Scream, O'Neill's, Toby Carvery, and Vintage Inns. In April 2001, the group expanded its UK hotel presence by acquiring the Posthouse Hotels business from Compass Group for £810 million. The purchase added 79 hotels. During the following year, those properties were rebranded as Holiday Inn hotels, consolidating them within one of Six Continents' principal lodging brands and increasing Holiday Inn's domestic scale. Six Continents was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was at one point included in the FTSE 100 Index. Despite its size and diversified portfolio, the corporate structure did not remain permanent. In 2003, the business was divided between its pubs activities and its hotel and soft-drinks interests. The pubs operation became Mitchells & Butlers. The remaining hotel and soft-drinks business was renamed InterContinental Hotels Group, linking the successor company to the group's most prominent international hotel brand. Six Continents consequently became a defunct corporate identity, while its assets, brands, and operating activities continued within successor businesses.

• 2003

  Corporate demerger and successor companies

  [1]Six Continentsen.wikipedia.org

  The pubs business becomes Mitchells & Butlers, while the hotel and soft-drinks business becomes InterContinental Hotels Group.

• 2002

  Posthouse properties adopt the Holiday Inn brand

  [1]Six Continentsen.wikipedia.org

  The 79 hotels acquired from Compass Group are rebranded as Holiday Inn properties.

• 2001

  Posthouse Hotels acquisition

  [1]Six Continentsen.wikipedia.org

  Six Continents buys the UK-based Posthouse Hotels business from Compass Group for £810 million.

• 2000

  Six Continents is established

  [1]Six Continentsen.wikipedia.org

  Following the sale of Bass's brewing business to Interbrew, the remaining hotel and pub holdings are renamed Six Continents.

A diversified hospitality group spanning international hotel brands and a broad portfolio of UK pubs, restaurants, and leisure venues.

• Luxury and upscale hotels

  InterContinental

  An international hotel brand positioned toward luxury and upscale accommodation. It was one of the principal hotel businesses associated with Six Continents and later continued within InterContinental Hotels Group.

• Upscale business hotels

  Crowne Plaza

  An upscale hotel brand serving business and general travel customers. It formed part of Six Continents' multi-brand lodging portfolio and subsequently continued under InterContinental Hotels Group.

• Mainstream hotels

  Holiday Inn

  A mainstream full-service hotel brand and one of the most important lodging names in the Six Continents portfolio. The acquisition of Posthouse Hotels materially expanded its UK presence, with all 79 acquired properties later converted to Holiday Inn.

• Limited-service hotels

  Holiday Inn Express

  A limited-service hotel format within the group's lodging portfolio, serving travelers seeking standardized accommodation in a simpler operating format than a full-service hotel.

• Extended-stay hotels

  Staybridge Suites

  An extended-stay accommodation brand included among Six Continents' hotel interests. Its format was designed for longer-duration stays and remained associated with the successor InterContinental Hotels Group business.

• Pubs, restaurants, and leisure venues

  UK pubs and restaurants

  Six Continents operated a wide group of British hospitality concepts, including All Bar One, Browns, Edward's, Ember Inns, Harvester, Hollywood Bowl, It's A Scream, O'Neill's, Toby Carvery, and Vintage Inns. These businesses represented the group's consumer-facing pubs, restaurants, and leisure operations and were separated into Mitchells & Butlers in 2003.

• 2003

  Demerger into successor hospitality businessesStrategy

  Background

  The group's hotel, soft-drinks, pubs, and restaurant interests were reorganized into more focused businesses.

  Action taken

  The pubs operation was separated as Mitchells & Butlers, while the remaining hotel and soft-drinks interests were renamed InterContinental Hotels Group.

  Aftermath

  Six Continents ceased to operate as an independent corporate identity, with its principal activities continuing through the two successor groups.

  Source

• 2001

  Acquisition of Posthouse HotelsM&A

  Background

  Six Continents sought to expand its UK hotel portfolio and acquired the Posthouse Hotels business from Compass Group.

  Action taken

  The company purchased the business for £810 million, adding 79 hotels to its portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The acquired hotels were subsequently rebranded as Holiday Inn properties, strengthening the scale of that brand in the UK.

  Acquisition price. £810 million (April 2001)

  Source

1. 1Six Continentsen.wikipedia.org