Crowne Plaza as a brand is in a bit of a strange position really, although I agree that in theory it competes with the likes of Hilton/Marriott/Sheraton. I think the problem is Crowne Plaza is squeezed from both sides more so than most other hotel brands.

Crowne Plaza can't go too upmarket, because in quite a few cities the IC isn't really pitched much above the level at which you find a good Marriott / Hilton (I can't imagine this is going to get any better with IHG taking the best ICs out of the portfolio to become Regent, either). Equally, IHG seems to be re-inventing the newer Holiday Inns by moving them slightly more upmarket again to compete more directly with the likes of Hilton. Beyond being business-focused and nominally to an international 4 star standard, I couldn't really tell you what a Crowne Plaza is.

I would say Accor has exactly the same issue where quite a few of their brands operate in overlapping market segments (what's the difference between a Novotel and a Mercure? I have no idea.)