InterContinental Showcases Regional Hotels – Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King
In a series of one-on-one presentations to the travel trade in Melbourne and Sydney last week, the InterContinental Hotels Groups showcased its growing portfolio of hotels and resorts in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region.
About 180 agents attended each function which was organised by the InterContinental Group in conjunction with partners Virgin Blue, Virgin Atlantic and Piazza Poro, with the latter company supplying coffee and training staff in Crowne Plazas and Holiday Inns.
This was the first time that the InterContinental Hotel Group had focussed solely on its regional properties with 22 Holiday Inns, 16 Crowne Plazas, 7 InterContinental Hotels and 3 regionally branded properties in Australia/New Zealand and the South Pacific, although that number is set to change today with the opening of the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley and in December again with the opening of the Holiday Inn Wellington.
Prior to the launch of the new Hunter Valley retreat, the newest of the group’s properties to launch was the InterContinental Resort & Thalasso Spa Bora Bora which had a formal opening on September 1.
Meanwhile, all four Holiday Inns in the Greater Sydney region are undergoing refurbishment with the Crown Plaza Paramatta also extending its meeting facilities.
In Melbourne the Crowne Plaza has been rebranded from a Holiday Inn after a dramatic upgrade that took some 18 months, with the property located on the Yarra River opposite Crown Casino.
In addition, both the Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise and the Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise have also undergone recent refurbishment programme.
Meanwhile, the Intercontinental’s Queenstown property was rebranded to a boutique Crowne Plaza from a Park Royal and according to a spokesperson the NZ$12 million upgrade gave the hotel an ambience unmatched by any other Crowne Plaza in the region.
Another relatively new development is Club InterContinental which allows access to the exclusive Club Lounge at the InterContinental Sydney, with no other hotel in Sydney offering such sweeping views of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House, said the spokesperson.
Virgin Atlantic also took the opportunity to showcase its Premium Economy Class which took to the skies in late September, featuring a dedicated cabin and leather seats that have a 38” pitch in a 2-3-2 configuration, also providing three menus choices, dedicated airport check-in, priority boarding and disembarkation and pre take-off Champagne. Four Virgin Atlantic aircraft are already configured with Premium Economy Class and every aircraft flying between London and Australia will be fitted with the new service by the end of October.
Report by Thomas E King
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