Share-based payments - Summary of Information about Awards Granted (Detail)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017 GBP (£) yr	Dec. 31, 2016 GBP (£) yr	Dec. 31, 2015 GBP (£) yr
Annual Performance Plan [member]
Information regarding option pricing models and assumptions used for grants during the year [line items]
Weighted average share price \| £	£ 37.81	£ 27.25	£ 25.65
Term (years) \| yr	3.0	3.0	3.0
Long Term Incentive Plan [member]
Information regarding option pricing models and assumptions used for grants during the year [line items]
Weighted average share price \| £	£ 43.00	£ 28.46	£ 26.34
Expected dividend yield	2.05%	2.55%	2.34%
Risk-free interest rate	0.10%	0.36%	0.59%
Volatility	24.00%	24.00%	22.00%
Term (years) \| yr	3.0	3.0	3.0

The expected volatility of the share price used to calculate the fair value of the share options granted. Expected volatility is a measure of the amount by which a price is expected to fluctuate during a period. The measure of volatility used in option pricing models is the annualised standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a period of time.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 2
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 47
-Subparagraph a
-Clause i
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=2&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_47_a_i&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DescriptionOfExpectedVolatilityShareOptionsGranted
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The option life of share options granted.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DescriptionOfOptionLifeShareOptionsGranted
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The implied yield currently available on zero-coupon government issues of the country in whose currency the exercise price for share options granted is expressed, with a remaining term equal to the expected term of the option being valued (based on the option's remaining contractual life and taking into account the effects of expected early exercise). [Refer: Government [member]]

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DescriptionOfRiskFreeInterestRateShareOptionsGranted
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The percentage of an expected dividend used to calculate the fair value of share options granted.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ExpectedDividendAsPercentageShareOptionsGranted
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The weighted average share price used as input to the option pricing model to calculate the fair value of share options granted. [Refer: Option pricing model [member]; Weighted average [member]]

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_WeightedAverageSharePriceShareOptionsGranted
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

fair value of share award using monte carlo pricing model and weighted average assumptions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ihg_FairValueOfShareAwardUsingMonteCarloPricingModelAndWeightedAverageAssumptionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ihg_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_TypesOfSharebasedPaymentArrangementsAxis=ihg_AnnualPerformancePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_TypesOfSharebasedPaymentArrangementsAxis=ihg_LongtermIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: