IHG future plans Essay Example for Free

IHG future plans Essay IHG’ aggressive growth plan is in full swing. They announced future plans for the largest new-build Crowne Plaza in the U. S. with 300 deluxe guest rooms and suites. Located two miles from Baltimore Washington Airport, the property will be part of a $350 million resort complex, attached to a 90,000 sq. ft state of the art conference center featuring a 50,000 sq. ft. grand ballroom. The hotel is expected to open early 2009. As a part of The Grand Isle Resort, the crowne Plaza will be connected to a 14,000sq. ft. indoor aquatic center featuring the east coast’s most exciting slides and attractions. With 3. 5 million sq. ft. of office space, the resort will be an oasis for the business traveler, conference attendee and family like. The hotel believes its convenient airport location will satisfy both business and leisure travelers. The Crowne Plaza at Grand Isle Resort is owned by ASHA Companies and managed by American Resort Management, LLC, under a license agreement with a company in the IHG. The IHG’ brand has experienced very positive growth over the last two years and in 2006, opened a total of ten hotels in seven countries. The brand will continue its global expansion throughout 2007 including new openings planned in China (Chengdu, Qingdao, Shenzhen, and Jiuzhaigou), the opening of the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, and the launch of the ANA InterContinental Tokyo. The InterContinental Moscow is scheduled to open in 2010. In addition, IHG announced plans for Honduras’ first Holiday Inn Express. The 104 – room Holiday Inn Express in San Pedro Sula will be owned by Desarollos Monumentales under a license agreement with a company in the IHG and is scheduled to open September 2008. Conclusion: The growth of the InterContinental Hotels Group, IHG, into one of the world’s largest hotel groups in the world and the leader in hotel room count is based primarily on its emphasis on its own unique brand distinction and customer loyalty. The strong operating system that it maintains in some of the largest markets has also been significant to the global expansion of the InterContinental Hotels Group. The advertising and marketing entity as well as the global call centers, local language websites, sales, and its Priority Club Rewards (PCR) program that comprise the operating system of the IHG group is unrivaled. Furthermore, the unique quality of these systems work together with the objective of driving brand demand, which has been one of the key strengths of this Hotel Group. From its humble beginnings at the Holiday Inns International in 1988 to its global expansion plans into Asia with the help of its joint venture projects in Japan, the IHG group is set to become even larger. The manner by which the group is able to maintain several different brands such as Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, and Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts keeps it ahead of the competition because they are able to cater to a wider class of customers. There are more expansion plans for the future of this highly successful hotel group as they have recently announced the plans for the largest new-build Crowne Plaza in the U. S. as well as new openings planned in China for the year 2007. The challenge that remains for this group lies in being able to expand at a sustainable pace and retain the competitive edge that has kept it at the top of the hotel industry through the various innovations and excellent service that it provides.