Dive Brief:
- InterContinental Hotels & Resorts launched a “brand evolution” that will reimagine the luxury travel experience across its hotels, IHG Hotels & Resorts announced Monday.
- The initiative will introduce refreshed brand differentiators and updated food and beverage programs, as well as new design strategies.
- As a major player in the growing luxury and lifestyle segment, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ brand updates are an attempt to cater to modern luxury travelers, who are seeking culturally rich experiences.
Dive Insight:
Tom Rowntree, vice president of luxury brands at IHG, said the brand evolution is distinct from a rebrand or repositioning in that 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 traveler.”
Among the new initiatives are a scientifically backed food and beverage program designed to help guests tackle jet lag, according to IHG’s release. Guests will have access to Timeshifter, an app that uses circadian sciences to help travelers adjust as quickly as possible to new time zones, and InterContinental is also working with neuroscience-based designer Isabelle Sjovall to optimize guest rooms for recovering from travel fatigue.
Additionally, IHG will develop “Concierge Galleries,” spaces in hotel lobbies that resemble luxury boutiques and will serve as hubs for local cultural knowledge. Concierge Galleries will play host to interactive displays, art installations and libraries in a bid to satisfy modern hotel guests’ desire for more cultural knowledge when traveling.
The brand also plans to better cater to guests’ “micro-occasions” — events such as birthdays and baby showers — through its Incredible Occasions program. The feature will earmark more intimate spaces throughout each hotel that are bookable for packages geared toward small-scale events. The brand will also unveil Celebration Suites, which are spaces designed specifically for events like these.
There are 215 InterContinental hotels worldwide, and the brand has 93 more in its pipeline. As part of the brand evolution, properties will elevate their look under the umbrella of “Cultivated Elegance,” one of the company’s new “Design Pillars,” according to Melissa Messmer, global head of design for luxury brands at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
The desires of luxury travelers have changed in recent years, with a recent Morning Consult report noting that guests prioritize comfort and great customer service, as well as personalized, unique experiences.
Global hotel brands are shifting their offerings accordingly, with companies like Hilton and Hyatt expanding their luxury lifestyle portfolios.
