InterContinental Hotels & Resorts announces brand revamp

InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, the world’s first and largest international luxury hotel brand, is relaunching its brand across its 215 luxury hotels.

As part of IHG Hotels and Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle portfolio, InterContinental is set to reimagine the luxury travel experience. This transformative journey is driven by the brand’s belief that travel can expand minds and connect cultures, enhanced by cutting-edge technology, innovative design, and the talents of InterContinental’s diverse team members.

This evolution includes new offerings and experiences, a fresh brand culture, unique brand differentiators, and a game-changing food and beverage and hotel design strategy tailored to the traveller. With InterContinental hotels in the world’s finest cities from Rome to Shanghai, and 93 new hotels and resorts in the pipeline, these concepts will shape the future of the group.

Tom Rowntree, vice president of luxury brands at IHG Hotels and Resorts, said: “This isn’t a rebrand or repositioning; rather, it’s a comprehensive transformation from start to finish of InterContinental, ensuring we stay at the forefront of crafting a luxury experience for the modern luxury traveller. Collaborating with our 215 hotels worldwide, we are committed to delivering precisely what todays and tomorrow’s guests, owners and colleagues require.

“At its core, this brand evolution revolves around our exceptional team members globally. Alongside a new brand service platform, we’re introducing a fresh brand culture and a range of programmes aimed at attracting and retaining the finest talent in the industry. Our colleague’s brand culture is grounded in InterContinental’s core belief that travel expands the mind. We unite in diversity and wherever you are in the world, you belong at InterContinental.”

Modern travellers lead diverse lives, and InterContinental acknowledges the need for seamless transitions throughout their day. To address this, the brand is committed to helping guests “shape shift” through their day.

New initiatives include scientifically backed food and beverage programmes aimed at helping guests reduce travel fatigue while ensuring dining options reflect differing guest needs throughout the day. 

All guests will also receive access to the Timeshifter, a jet lag app which enables travellers to use the latest circadian science to adjust quickly to new time zones. 

InterContinental will develop innovative Concierge Galleries in hotel lobbies, transforming them into epicentres of unrivalled local, cultural knowledge. Going far beyond the standard concierge desk, these new outposts will more closely resemble a luxury boutique, bringing together interactive displays, library spaces and informative features, in some cases even art installations or designer pop-ups. 

From a design perspective, these social spaces will eschew the traditional desk in favour of a more interactive worktable allowing for more natural and engaging interactions between the guest and concierge.

Bringing together expertise, infrastructure and imagination, InterContinental will also unveil Celebration Suites across its global portfolio. These are reimagined spaces designed specifically to help guests elevate life’s most special moments, from lavish dinner parties to landmark birthdays.

Melissa Messmer, global head of design for luxury brands at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Each InterContinental hotel or resort is an experience-driven bespoke concept, tied together by our new Design Pillars that form the strength of our brand design style, Cultivated Elegance.”