ULTA vs IHG Comparison

Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the US with more than 1,500 freestanding stores. The firm offers cosmetics (38% of 2025 sales), fragrances (13%), skin care (24%), and hair care products (19%). It also has salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow, that account for 4% of its revenue and drive customer traffic. Outside of the US, Ulta operates premium beauty retailer Space NK (86 stores at year-end 2025 in the UK and Ireland) and has franchised stores in Mexico, and a joint venture in the Middle East. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

InterContinental Hotels Group operates 1 million rooms across 20 brands addressing the midscale through luxury segments, as of Dec. 31, 2025. 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, followed by a premium conversion brand, Noted Collections, in 2026. Managed and franchised represent 99% of total rooms. As of Dec. 31, 2025, the Americas represented 52% of total rooms, with Greater China accounting for 20% and Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa making up 28%.