09 June 2011
Navigating High-Season Hysteria with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
Brand Offers Guests "Insider" Travel Tips to Avoid Bustling Summer Crowds in Premier U.S. Destinations
ATLANTA - A global hotel brand celebrated for its best-in-class Concierge program featuring "in the know" and highly personalized, authentic recommendations, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts offers summer travelers authentic tips to beat the stress associated with high-season getaways. "Insider" tips include knowledge on the best times of day to visit cultural attractions, exclusive access to special venues and exhibits, and suggestions on hotel packages remarkable for their destination-specific focus and ability to offer guests an unforgettable travel experience. A few ways to combat "High-Season Hysteria" with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts include:
InterContinental Concierge iPad 2 Global Initiative - Keeping Travelers In The Know, On The Go
To ensure travelers have unparalleled access to local attractions, cultural events and "Insider" travel tips, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts can connect guests face-to-face with Concierge teams across the country using the recently launched iPadTM 2 from Apple®. Using the interactive FaceTime® feature on Apple products - be it a MacBook, iPhone® 4, iPod touch® or iPad 2 - consumers can video chat with InterContinental's highly equipped Concierge teams and receive top-notch personalized service and destination recommendations before they even leave home. http://www.chat.intercontinental.com/
InterContinental Boston - Venture to Boston & Beyond
InterContinental Boston's Chef Concierge, city insider Marc Simoneau, has seen his share of summer traffic in Boston, especially when it comes to popular historic sites. With regards to Boston's much-visited Freedom Trail, Mr. Simoneau recommends taking the water taxi to the end of the trail and working backwards; conveniently enough, there is a water taxi stop directly at the InterContinental Boston. For travelers seeking to explore surrounding destinations such as Cape Cod - notorious for its four-hour-plus summer traffic - the hotel's Concierge team recommends riding the 90-minute high-speed ferry from Boston to Provincetown, the Cape's hot spot. The water taxi can transport guests directly from InterContinental Boston to the ferry in a short, five-minute taxi ride. For those willing to explore the city proper, Mr. Simoneau can organize exclusive after-hour tours of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) and the Boston Children's Museum. www.intercontinental.com/boston
InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta - Adventure in ATL's Backyard
Perfect for the well-heeled family seeking a low-key staycation in their own city, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta's "Backyard Adventure" package offers guests a Deluxe guest room, complimentary breakfast buffet for four (2 adults, 2 children, ages 12 and under), complimentary overnight parking, a dining voucher to use at the property's restaurant, and concierge services to assist in helping guests plan their own Atlanta outing. The package requires booking one day in advance and is valid through August 31. www.intercontinental.com/buckhead
InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile - Skip the Queue in Chi-Town
For guests looking to breeze through the Windy City's most popular attractions, Victor Colon, Chef Concierge of the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, recommends purchasing a VIP pass and skipping the two-hour-plus lines for the popular Shedd Aquarium. As an official hotel partner of the venue, the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile's passes allow guests to forgo the line and walk right in. Another tip: when visiting the John Hancock Observatory, instead of crowding around the observation deck on the 94th floor, guests can visit the Signature lounge on the 96th floor that affords the same view without the crowds all for just the cost of a beverage or appetizer. www.intercontinental.com/icchicago
InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco and InterContinental San Francisco - Golden Summer Hours in the Golden Gate City
InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco's prized Chef Concierge, Dan Sotelo, advises prospective guests to "plan, plan, and plan ahead" when eyeing a summer jaunt to the Bay Area. Getting around San Francisco is fairly easy, but as Chef Concierge Bill Sutton from the InterContinental San Francisco can attest, guests can always benefit from purchasing commute essentials such as a Muni Pass and partaking in iconic city activities such as riding a cable car. Both hotels' excellent Concierge teams can assist with everything from accessing tickets to popular attractions - including scenic cruises to Alcatraz and stadium seats for a Giants game - to advising on destination-specific travel staples such as a warm sweater; surprisingly, July is the coldest and foggiest month of the year! www.intercontinental.com/sanfrancisco and www.intercontinental.com/sanfranciscoca
InterContinental New York Barclay - Enjoy the Manhattan Bar Scene on a Budget
InterContinental New York Barclay's intimate Barclay Bar puts a retro twist on weeknight wind-down with its just-launched Decades Cocktail Hour. Offered from 5:00 p.m. through 8:00 p.m., the Barclay Bar celebrates a different era each week night with decade-specific music, moving images and affordable $8 featured cocktails - bar-hoppers can toast with a ‘20s Sidecar on Mondays and gab with girlfriends while enjoying the ‘90s Cosmopolitan on Fridays. Five original video projections will be displayed nightly serving as kinetic portraits of each decade, while custom playlists revive the spirit of the times with authenticity and style. www.intercontinental.com/newyork
InterContinental New York Times Square - Beat the Tourist Masses to New York's Epicenter
The tip to navigating Times Square, Manhattan's thriving theater and commercial district, is to one-up the legions of travelers who flock there every summer. The InterContinental Concierge team at InterContinental New York Times Square recommends booking well in advance as the area tends to run at 90 percent occupancy during the leisurely summer months. Luckily, the hotel offers an advance purchase rate which extends a 10 to 15 percent discount off retail rates when guests book ahead. www.intercontinental.com/timessquare
Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. - Undercover Summer Experience in the Nation's Capital
As America marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War in 2011, Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. will highlight its significant history of the period with Willard Hotel and the Civil War, a year-long event in conjunction with Destination D.C.'s regional Civil War to Civil Rights. To highlight various aspects of the Willard's history during this period, the hotel has partnered with such prestigious organizations as the International Spy Museum for a special summer event on Tuesday, June 21: "Spy Rings, Covert Action, and Deception: Spies and their Tactics." Guests can join International Spy Museum historian Mark Stout and his team of experts to discuss the value of intelligence and deceptive measures during the Civil War, as well as explore the spy "gadgets" available to the Civil War-era James Bond. www.intercontinental.com/washington
About InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has 171 hotels, located in more than 60 countries with local insight that comes from over 60 years of experience. At InterContinental we believe that superior, understated service and outstanding facilities are important, but what makes us truly different, is the genuine interest we show in our guests. Our desire is to help guests make the most of their time. We connect our well-travelled guests to what's special about a destination, by sharing our knowledge so they enjoy authentic experiences that will enrich their lives and broaden their outlook. For more information, visit http://www.intercontinental.com/.
Media Contacts:
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
Caroline Sanfilippo, [email protected], +1(770) 604-2495
The Brandman Agency
Iliana Carr / Daphna Barzilay / Natalie Guevara
[email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]
+1(212) 683-2442
Notes to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global company operating seven well-known 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®. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program with 58 million members worldwide.
IHG is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms and IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, a portfolio of over 4,400 hotels and more than 652,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world.
IHG has more than 1,200 hotels in its development pipeline and expects to recruit around 160,000 people 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 http://www.ihg.com/ and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at http://www.priorityclub.com/. For our latest news visit www.ihg.com/media, Twitter www.twitter.com/ihgplc or YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ihgplc