Six Continents
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality, Hotels, Pubs |
| Founded | June 2000 |
| Fate | Split into Mitchells & Butlers and InterContinental Hotels Group in 2003 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, International |
| Products | Hotels, Pubs, Restaurants, Beverage brands |
Six Continents was a prominent British hospitality and hotel enterprise, publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange and previously included in the FTSE 100 Index.
History
The company originated in June 2000 following the divestiture of the brewing division of Bass plc to the Belgian brewing firm Interbrew (currently AB InBev). The residual operations, consisting of hotels and pubs, were rebranded as Six Continents plc.
In April 2001, Six Continents expanded by purchasing the UK-based Posthouse Hotels from Compass Group for £810 million. By 2002, the chain's 79 properties had been converted to Holiday Inn locations.
By 2003, the organization separated into two distinct entities: the pubs segment became Mitchells & Butlers, while the hotels and non-alcoholic beverage units (including Britvic) formed what is now known as InterContinental Hotels Group.
Brands and companies
The portfolio of Six Continents encompassed ownership, management, or franchising of hotel brands such as InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Staybridge Suites. Its collection of pubs and dining establishments included All Bar One, Browns, Edward's, Ember Inns, Harvester, Hollywood Bowl, It's A Scream, O'Neill's, Toby Carvery, and Vintage Inns.