IHG vs ULTA Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group operates 987,000 rooms across 20 brands addressing the midscale through luxury segments, as of Dec. 31, 2024. Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express constitute the largest brand, while Hotel Indigo, Even, Hualuxe, Kimpton, and Voco are newer lifestyle brands experiencing strong demand. The company launched a midscale brand, Avid, in 2017 and closed on a 51% stake in Regent Hotels in 2018. It acquired Six Senses in 2019 and launched another midscale brand, Garner, in 2023. Managed and franchised represent 99% of total rooms. As of Dec. 31, 2024, the Americas represented 53% of total rooms, with Greater China accounting for 20% and Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa making up 27%.

Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the US with about 1,500 freestanding stores. The firm offers cosmetics (39% of 2024 sales), fragrances (13%), skin care (23%), and hair care products (19%). It also has salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow, that account for about 4% of its revenue and drive traffic. Outside of the US, Ulta acquired premium beauty retailer Space NK and its 83 stores in the UK and Ireland in 2025, is opening franchised stores in Mexico, and has formed a joint venture to expand into the Middle East. In addition, Ulta collects royalties through its Target partnership (set to end in 2026) and credit card revenue. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.