06 January 2010

Crowne Plaza Hotel Opens in Downtown Chicago Along the Magnificent Mile

Recently renovated conversion delivers upscale experience for business and leisure travelers

ATLANTA - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced that the Avenue Crowne Plaza Chicago has opened just steps from Michigan Avenue's "Magnificent Mile."  A conversion of the Avenue Hotel Chicago, the 40-story hotel completed a multi-million renovation in summer 2008. This property will be the second IHG full service hotel along the Magnificent Mile.

"With the recent renovation, which impacted all guestrooms, meeting space and common areas, we've essentially been able to open a brand new property," said Mik Mahdavi, general manager, Avenue Crowne Plaza Chicago. "We are extremely excited about branding the hotel as a Crowne Plaza.  The upscale guest experience, superior meeting offerings, and IHG's loyalty program - Priority Club Rewards - makes our hotel an extremely attractive option for business and leisure travelers visiting downtown Chicago. "

Situated in the heart of downtown Chicago, the Avenue Crowne Plaza Chicago is located near Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the John Hancock Center, Water Tower Place, Lake Michigan and given its proximity to Michigan Avenue offers guests immediate access to world-class shopping, dining, arts and entertainment. 

"The hotel's location near Michigan Avenue, Wrigley Field and the Financial Districts makes it a major attraction for leisure guests as well as business travelers," said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Delivery, the Americas, IHG.  "With the conversion of this hotel to a Crowne Plaza, we can now offer meeting planners in particular our comprehensive meetings program, which they won't find at any other hotel in the Chicago market." 

The Crowne Plaza brand offers a comprehensive meetings program to ensure a seamless planning process and exceptional meeting experience consisting of three key components: a Two Hour Response Guarantee, Crowne Meetings Director and a Daily Meetings Debrief.  The hotel has more than 18,000 square feet of flexible, upscale meeting space featuring natural light from expansive windows overlooking the city.

The Avenue Crowne Plaza Chicago boasts 350 guestrooms each complete with a flat-screen TV, iHome docking station, mini bar, rain showerhead, and granite countertops along with expansive views of Lake Michigan and the downtown skyline.  Guests have access to a variety of amenities including complimentary wi-fi in the guestrooms and public spaces, rooftop pool, fitness center, business center, in-room dining and spa services, which are available upon request.

The 40th floor of the hotel is home to the Sky Lounge and spectacular panoramic views of the city.  Sky Lounge provides guests a relaxed and contemporary setting to enjoy a European-influenced breakfast; the space is also available for private events.   For more casual fare, guests can visit the hotel's first floor restaurant Elephant & Castle, an English pub-style restaurant serving English specialties throughout the day, complete with 26 ales on tap.

Consistent with the Crowne Plaza brand, the hotel features the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage®, available at all Crowne Plaza hotels in the Americas.  Sleep Advantage encompasses the entire sleep experience, from training staff on how to create and maintain a restful environment to providing innovative products and services.   Program components include signature bedding, guaranteed wake-up calls, designated quiet zones, night lights, drape clips and amenities such as eye masks, ear plugs and lavender spray.

The property, located at 160 East Huron, is owned and managed by Driftwood Hospitality Management, LLC, and under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.

Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards.  The industry's first and largest guest loyalty program has 47 million members.  Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's nearly 4,700 hotels worldwide.

Crowne Plaza was recently recognized by Lodging Hospitality magazine as one of the industry's top growing brands. As part of the IHG global portfolio, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has more than 300 hotels in nearly 60 countries, and are located in major urban centers, gateway cities and resort destinations. For reservations at Crowne Plaza properties, visit http://www.crowneplaza.com/ or call 1-800-2CROWNE.

Media Contacts:
Emily Brinkley, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, [email protected], +1(770) 604-2037
Caroline Counihan, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, [email protected], +1(770) 604-2090 

Notes to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, nearly 4,400 hotels and over 640,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world.  The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® and also manages the world’s largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 47 million members worldwide.

IHG has 1,500 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 140,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media

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