IHG gets Asia boost, but riots will hit London trade

Strong performances in China and the US helped InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the operator of the Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza brands, post a rise in first-half profits.

But Richard Solomons, the chief executive of IHG, warned this week's rioting and looting in London will deter some overseas visitors to the capital in the short-term and he described the disturbances as "very concerning".

His comments came after IHG delivered a 23 per cent jump in operating profits to $269m over the six months to 30 June, on sales up by 10 per cent to $850m. The rise was driven by a 6.7 per cent increase in revenue per available room, which is a key measure of performance for the hotel industry.