At IHG® Army Hotels, we pride ourselves on providing the finest accommodations and hospitality for the military community. We manage and operate more than 70 hotels inside 40 U.S. Army installations across the country. Since 2009, we’ve redefined what military lodging can be. We’ve renovated existing properties and built new ones so that we can provide our guests the same quality they expect from our hotel brands off post. To make this happen, we rely on the expertise of our partner Lendlease.
Who they are
Lendlease is a globally integrated real estate group with operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States. In the US, Lendlease’s Communities business is one of the nation’s leaders in public/private community development. They manage one of the largest military housing portfolios in the US and are the Army's exclusive partner for privatized lodging. With a focus on creating sustainable value, Lendlease creates communities that regenerate our environment, enrich people’s lives and foster economic growth.
What they do
Lendlease has worked extensively with the Department of Defense through the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI), a program that provides for the transfer of military housing assets to private sector companies. They have over 40,000 residential units, 192 apartments and more than 12,000 hotel rooms in their portfolio. Under the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program, Lendlease leverages private sector best practices and commercial standards to deliver hotel-quality stay experiences catered specifically to meet the needs of military service members, families and guests. Over the years, Lendlease has built new Candlewood Suites® and Staybridge Suites® while transforming existing on-post buildings into Holiday Inn Express® branded hotels and our renowned Historia Collection™ group of historic buildings.
Recent work
Earlier this year, Lendlease announced the completion of renovations at Organ Mountains Inn – Historia Collection™, located within New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range. Renovations were carefully executed to seamlessly blend rich history with modern amenities.
Made up of three buildings, Organ Mountains Inn features 58 guest rooms including a variety of one- and two-bedroom standard rooms and suites with kitchenettes and two Distinguished Visitor Quarters providing exceptional accommodation for esteemed guests. Enhancements include a redesigned lobby and front desk area; expanded amenities such as a fitness center, hot breakfast buffet, great room, recreational room and meeting rooms; new furniture and fixtures in guest rooms; and a redesigned suite shop with upgraded food options.
As part of Lendlease's commitment to sustainability, several energy-efficient elements were incorporated into the renovations. They include a more efficient heating and cooling system, LED ceiling lights, and Energy Star appliances.
The Organ Mountain Inn was built in 1951 and served as Navy Officer Quarters before becoming the main building for Army Lodging. In 2011, Organ Mountains Inn joined the IHG Army Hotels portfolio and has since become a cherished destination for military travelers seeking comfort, convenience and a connection to the past.
Other recent work from Lendlease includes the construction of new Candlewood Suites on Fort Jackson, Aberdeen Proving Ground, and Fort Eisenhower—home of the largest Candlewood Suites in the world.
Upcoming projects
In November of last year, Lendlease broke ground on a Candlewood Suites on Fort Liberty in North Carolina. Expected to open in early 2026, the 207-room hotel is the 17th Candlewood Suites property Lendlease and IHG have partnered on since 2009.
Located on the site of a previous IHG Army Hotels property, the Fort Liberty Candlewood Suites will include guest rooms ranging from studios to one- and two-bedroom suites. The hotel will also offer features to meet the specific needs of military travelers, such as fully equipped kitchens in each suite; a business center, fitness center, laundry facilities and 24-hour Candlewood Cupboard market; outdoor seating and barbeque area; a separate lounge for Distinguished Visitors; and amenities such as complimentary hot breakfast, pet-friendly accommodations, and weekly social events.
The Candlewood Suites will be the 6th Army hotel to be built with Cross-Laminated Timber, which is composed of renewable materials that store carbon. CLT surpasses traditional building methods for sustainability while offering maximized strength and durability.
In addition to building the new Candlewood Suites, Lendlease is updating FFE (furnishing, fixtures and equipment) at the Carolina Inn; and renovating the Normandy House to be part of our Historia Collection.
The renovations and new construction are especially important to Fort Liberty. It’s one of the largest U.S. Army installations by population and welcomes approximately 100,000 travelers to its three existing hotels each year.
Military lodging is much more comfortable, enjoyable, convenient and safe since we teamed up with Lendlease nearly 15 years ago. With the help of PAL, more than $1billion has been spent on construction and renovations to date. All revenue stays within the PAL program and approximately 43 cents of every $1 made is reinvested toward construction and sustainment over the life of the partnership. But our greatest measure of success is how well we’ve scored in guest satisfaction and Garrison Commander feedback. An average of 64% of all guests surveyed have scored us 5 out of 5 in the overall guest satisfaction surveys. And, our hotels have been awarded five out of five stars in the Garrison Commander Evaluation Metric from 2017 to present. We’re honored to provide you with the best experience possible stay after stay.
To book a room at IHG Army hotels, visit www.ihgarmyhotels.com.
Lendlease is the owner, design-builder, asset manager, and the exclusive developer for the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) portfolio, the Department of Defense’s only lodging privatization program. IHG Hotel & Resorts is the hotel operator and manager of IHG Army Hotels.