IHG Hotels & Resorts’ many brands—including Hotel Indigo, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts—offer a choice of locations tailored to fit the needs of any size or type of corporate event with skilled support and trained onsite teams to ensure an inspiring experience. And these hotels, designed and inspired by their local settings, in turn connect attendees with those local communities through restaurants that offer regional cuisine and customized cultural experiences through their outlets and amenities.
Mark Sergot, sr. VP, global sales, IHG Hotels & Resorts, points to the opportunity the company gives its hotel teams to complete a Hybrid Events for Hotels & Venues Intro Certificate Course, in partnership with the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). “Through this, our hotel teams will be educated and trained to successfully partner with planners to host corporate and social hybrid events,” Sergot says.
The hotel company also has made a clear commitment to drive environmental and social change, which is increasingly important to corporate travel managers and business customers as they seek to make progress against their own targets, he says.
IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow outlines its approach to achieving its sustainability and social goals, says Sergot. “To help underline our progress we have formed a number of partnerships, including becoming a certified member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, joining the UN’s Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), and working with HRS as part of its Green Stay Initiative, which measures a hotel’s energy, water and waste and ranks its performance.” The company’s voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, opening in 2024, will be IHG’s first net-zero-carbon property. It has been designed to align with the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition of the UK Green Building Council, the membership-led industry network.
IHG also is committed to keeping even its most iconic properties current, while honoring their history and creating ways to inspire creativity and create cultural connections for group events, says Sergot. One such property is the Kimpton Fitzroy London. Recently awarded Travel + Leisure World Best Awards Top 10 Hotels in London, this 19th-century landmark building is located on a full block at the eastern side of Russell Square in Bloomsbury. The hotel underwent a £85 million (approximately $108 million) refurbishment; its grand event space has a private entrance on Bernard St. that boasts original architectural details.
On the other side of the pond, the InterContinental Boston is one of Bean Town’s most celebrated historic, yet modernly elegant, hotels. Located on the harbor, the waterfront hotel pairs sophisticated guest rooms and posh amenities with 11 event spaces. The hotel is near Boston’s most sought-after landmarks. On the U.S. west coast, the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown is renowned for its world-class dining, sublime rooms and architectural mastery, says Sergot. “Guests arrive through the lavish Sky Lobby on the 70th floor and see breathtaking views of downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. The venue is perfect for conventions and trade shows with expansive ballrooms to stylish boardrooms.”
Also in IHG’s portfolio is the Carlton Cannes, A Regent Hotel, which reopened in March as a Regent after a 2-year redevelopment. The hotel offers 332 rooms—72 of which have sea views—and 37 branded residences. Revered by film stars and presidents for decades, the hotel’s rich history, decor and design represents the French Riviera region.
Among the new properties in the pipeline is the Hotel Indigo Jabal Al-Akhdar, Oman. Located in Nizwa, a 2-hour drive from Muscat and a 6-hour drive from Dubai, the hotel will have 176 rooms, outdoor and indoor swimming pools and luxury facilities. The hotel will make use of the surrounding mountains by offering a range of activities including mountain biking, hiking, cave exploring and more, and attendees will be able to visit to Nizwa Fort and Souq. —Sue Pelletier
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