IHG To Develop InterContinental® Hotel In Downtown Los Angeles

ATLANTA, Sept. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the signing of a new 900-room InterContinental^® Hotels & Resorts property in downtown Los Angeles, California. The luxury hotel will make its mark on the city's skyline as part of Korean Air and Hanjin Group's more than $1.1 billion new-build Wilshire Grand project. Once completed it will be the largest InterContinental hotel in the Americas region.

The 73-story, 1,100-foot tall development is set to be the tallest building in the western United States, providing unobstructed 360-degree views of Los Angeles. Currently under construction, the development will house the InterContinental hotel as well as offices and retail space. The hotel will be the first on the west coast to have a sky-lobby, which is located on the 70^th floor. It is set to open in 2017 and will be the first hotel built by Korean Air in the U.S.

Kirk Kinsell, president, the Americas at IHG commented: "InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is IHG's luxury brand, which we have grown to be more than twice the size of any other luxury brand globally. We remain focused on building its presence in top-tier cities and resorts around the globe; and our partnership with Korean Air is very much in line with this strategy. We are pleased to be working with such highly experienced owners."

Heather Cho, vice president of Hanjin International Corp commented: "We are delighted to have InterContinental Hotels & Resorts join our Korean Air family of hotels. The InterContinental brand is well-respected by world travelers and embodies the luxury experience we intend to provide at the Wilshire Grand. They recognized the potential of this significant project and that was important in our decision."

Similar to the InterContinental hotel brand, Hanjin and Korean Air have been a part of the international scene for decades. From its humble beginnings in 1945, Hanjin and Korean Air have become one of the largest logistics and travel/hospitality companies in the world, including the largest Asian airline in Los Angeles. The InterContinental brand began just a year later in 1946 and became the world's first truly international luxury hotel brand. Today, the InterContinental brand has grown to more than 180 hotels globally and has 51 additional hotels in its development pipeline. Both brands share parallel histories and a deep commitment to creating solutions that meet the evolving needs of today's global travelers.

The impressive height and sleek design of the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown building complements the design style of the InterContinental brand's city hotel destinations. In particular, the new property will reflect the four ecological typologies of Los Angeles while also embracing the laid-back sophistication of the city. The natural wood and warm colors in the building will reflect the city's beach culture while the hotel's sky lobby will incorporate Los Angeles' car culture into the design through abstract representations of car lines into the internal paneling and decor.

The new InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown hotel will participate in IHG's guest loyalty program, IHG^® Rewards Club. The industry's fast-growing guest loyalty program with more than 80 million members is free and guests can enroll at IHGRewardsClub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG's more than 4,700 hotels worldwide.

About InterContinental^® Hotels & Resorts
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has 180 hotels located in more than 60 countries with local insight that comes from over 65 years of experience. As a brand, 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-traveled 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.ihg.com/intercontinental, https://twitter.com/InterConHotels or http://www.facebook.com/intercontinental.

Notes to Editors:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of nine hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts.

IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 80 million members worldwide. The programme was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet across all hotels, globally.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,700 hotels and 693,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries, with almost 1,200 hotels in its development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

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SOURCE IHG Hotels & Resorts