IHG Hotels & Resorts Sponsors British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia

From left: Joe Schmidt, Wallabies head coach; Matt Tripolone, managing director, IHG Hotels & Resorts; and Andy Farrell, head coach of the British & Irish Lions. Photo courtesy of IHG

IHG Hotels & Resorts will be the official hotel partner of the British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia in June with six matches scheduled between venues in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

The partnership builds a two-decade-long relationship with Rugby Australia as the Lions will be in Australia for the first time in 12 years. IHG will have activations inside the Lions Den and Wallabies fan zones in the three cities, plus branding and logo on the Wallabies match shorts.

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“The Lions Tour is renowned for transcending borders to unite nations in celebration of sporting history, excellence and performance,” said Matt Tripolone, managing director, Australasia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts. “The buzz is already palpable, and we are incredibly proud to be chosen as the Official Hotel Partner, providing a welcoming home base for teams and fans alike, while being able to connect our IHG One Rewards members with unmissable experiences.”

Before the Tour and during matches, IHG One Rewards loyalty members will be able to access benefits and opportunities, including social media giveaways and on-property activations.

“A Lions Tour places many demands on players and staff, so making sure we have a home away from home, thanks to our partners at IHG, is crucial,” said Ben Calveley, chief executive officer of the British & Irish Lions. “With record-breaking numbers of Lions fans already traveling in 2025, we also know that our loyal supporters will find many comforts across IHG’s portfolio.”

The Tour is expected to attract more than 40,000 inbound visitors as well as fans from across the country.

“We’re thrilled to be able to extend Rugby Australia’s long-standing partnership with IHG into this year’s highly anticipated British & Irish Lions Tour of Australia,” said Phil Waugh, chief executive officer of Rugby Australia. “IHG hotels provide a perfect home away from home for our teams in gold, allowing them to focus fully on their preparation and challenges on the field.”