For the eighth consecutive year, IHG Hotels & Resorts holds the official hotel and loyalty partnership with the US Open Tennis Championships — and this time the brand is taking its hospitality activation literally off-site. The centerpiece of IHG's 2026 presence is the Racquet Cruiser, a complimentary premium motorcoach that shuttles fans from Arthur Ashe Stadium to select IHG hotels in Manhattan following certain tournament sessions. The coach offers a range of curated amenities including Prince St. Pizza slices, express facial treatments, post-match replay viewing, device charging, Wi-Fi, and surprise gifting.
The Racquet Cruiser positions IHG squarely in a growing hospitality trend: extending the branded guest experience well beyond the check-in desk. For operators and brand strategists tracking experiential hospitality activations, the motorcoach concept represents a calculated move to tie leisure travel spend to a major sporting event footprint. Guests board by entering at the IHG Racquet Bar inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center — grounds access requires a tournament ticket during the Main Draw.
The Signature Cocktail
Running alongside the new motorcoach, IHG is bringing back the Watermelon Slice, its signature US Open cocktail that has built a following at the Racquet Bar in prior years. The 2026 version combines Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut, watermelon juice, elderflower liqueur, and lime, finished with a watermelon wedge and served in an IHG-branded, tennis-inspired collectible cup. The cocktail is available for purchase at the IHG Racquet Bar. For beverage program directors tracking limited-edition on-premise cocktail strategy, the recurring seasonal signature illustrates how hotel brands are using tournament partnerships to build menu identity and collectible drinkware loyalty.
"At IHG, hospitality extends far beyond the hotel stay," said Connor Smith, Senior Vice President of Global Brands – Luxury, Lifestyle, Masterbrand and Global Creative Director. "Through experiences like the IHG Racquet Cruiser, we're bringing the same comfort, care and thoughtful touches our guests expect from our hotels to more moments of their US Open journey."
Loyalty Perks and Timing
IHG One Rewards members gain additional value during the tournament through custom swag, limited-time redemption packages, and the ability to bid on VIP sports experiences via IHG One Rewards Access, the brand's auction-style perks platform. The program has more than 160 million members globally, giving the US Open activation a wide potential audience beyond on-site attendees. The 2026 US Open Tennis Championships runs August 23 through September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, providing a three-week window for the brand to drive awareness and loyalty engagement at scale.
The pairing of a curated F&B offering with a premium transportation amenity signals that major hotel groups are increasingly willing to fund experiential touchpoints outside their physical properties — a strategy worth watching as sports tourism continues to command premium room rates and extended booking windows in gateway markets like New York City.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
