Multinational hospitality company IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) has announced a collaboration with the Chinese professional Honor of Kings (HoK) league, the King Pro League (KPL). Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
According to a release, the partnership will see members adhering to IHG’s loyalty programme earn points for KPL match tickets and gain access to exclusive fan packages starting on September 1st.
IHG joins a long list of partners for the KPL, which includes the likes of Snow Breweries’ SuperX, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, appliance company Hisense, technology company Meituan, and Huaxia Bank, among others.
Earlier this year, the KPL made headlines when it announced the signing of a strategic partnership with Chinese social media platform Rednote (Xiaohongshu), the platform’s first-ever partnership in the esports scene in China.
The KPL is one of the most popular HoK leagues in the world and the home of the strongest teams of the title, including AG Super Play, Weibo Gaming, and Wolves, among others. In particular, AG Super Play, competing under the name of AG.AL International, won the latest Honor of Kings World Cup at the Esports World Cup (EWC), taking home $750,000 (~£553,746) of the $3m (~£2.215m) prize pool.
Hospitality Partnerships Taking Over the Esports industry
It’s not surprising to see IHG collaborating with some of the major players in the esports scene. Over the past few years, there has been an increasing number of partnerships with hospitality groups, both in the East and in the West.
Ms Rita Jiang, Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer of IHG Greater China, commented on the partnership with the King Pro League: “IHG has always been attentive to the diverse needs of our guests and members. The spirit of perseverance found in esports echoes our commitment to creating exceptional travel experiences. This partnership with KPL is not only a strategic initiative to engage younger audiences, but also a way to resonate emotionally with the passions that define them. By embracing esports, a cultural touchpoint beloved by Gen Z, we aim to bring our members even closer, offering them more diverse benefits and experiences to set out on their journeys with joy.”
Last year, Ninjas in Pyjamas signed a multi-year deal with BTG Homeinns to develop and operate esports-themed hotels in China.
In 2025, the major hospitality partnerships were from Riot Games’ League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) with Marriott Bonvoy for the LEC Summer Finals in Madrid, Spain, and the Esports World Cup with global hotel chain Hilton, which provided accommodation, facilities and workspaces for all participants.
