INTERCONTINENTAL® HOTELS & RESORTS BRAND ORIENTATIONMANUAL

The IHG Frontline learning platform, and the information contained in this manual,

have been developed as instructional resources for owners of franchise hotels.

The training, information and processes contained herein, are intended to serve

as general advice and resources about selected topics, with the expectation that

owners and operators will use and adapt elements that they believe are appropriate

for the particular hotel that they are responsible for operating and for their

particular business circumstances. The IHG Frontline training is not designed to

provide complete, specific information and instructions on all topics. No licensee is

required to abide by any other terms of the IHG Frontline training or accompanying

resources. No company in IHG, nor any employee thereof, has any involvement in

employee-related decisions at franchise hotels.

INTERCONTINENTAL® HOTELS & RESORTS

BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL

IHG® FRONTLINE MANUAL DISCLAIMER

CONTENTS

2. BRAND ORIENTATION

2.1 INTRODUCTION

2.2 THE INTERCONTINENTAL® BRAND PROMISE

2.3 THE GUEST

2.4 THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

2.5 CONCLUSION

PG 4–6

PG 7–8

PG 9–10

PG 11–14

PG 15–16

INTRODUCTION

2. BRAND ORIENTATION

2.1

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BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 5

From the very start, 70 years ago, we have offered our guests the InterContinental Life. A glamorous way of life that makes international travel more attractive, and creates an atmosphere where great things happen, for our guests, our hotels, and our teams. This course will help you see your part in this story. By the end, you will have a better understanding of the InterContinental brand, so you can help write the next chapter in the story of glamorous travel that we’ve been sharing for over 70 years.

2.1 INTRODUCTIONWelcome to the InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts Brand Orientation course.

This manual will guide you through the course from beginning to end. Be sure to watch the

corresponding video lessons, complete the theory assessments, and complete the relevant activities

in your workbook. Keep your workbook close by as you progress through the video lessons, to

write down important points and answer questions.

Today, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has over 180 hotels and resorts in more than 65 countries – we are the world’s largest luxury hotel brand. And with more properties in development than any of our competitors, we continue to increase our presence in fabulous destinations all over the world.

2.1 INTRODUCTION

OVER TO YOU

We’re the ones who continue the story. We make great things happen.

For 70 years, the InterContinental® brand has been writing the story of international travel.

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BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 6

WHERE DID IT ALL BEGIN?

2.1 INTRODUCTION

1950s: Alfred Hitchcock shot his film, To Catch a Thief, at the InterContinental Carlton Cannes with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. Here, Grace Kelly also met her future husband, His Serene Highness Prince Rainier lll of Monaco.

2

1975: InterContinental London Park Lane opened its doors, built on the site that was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth II. The historic Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco became the first InterContinental hotel to launch in the United States.

4

2008: In China, two new InterContinental hotels opened to mark the Beijing Olympic Games.

6

7 2015: Pop superstars, One Direction, filmed the video for their song, Perfect, at the InterContinental New York Times Square.

5 1990s: The InterContinental New York Barclay hosted heads of state for the United Nations 50th Anniversary summit.

3 1960s: The brand pioneered new destinations – from Hong Kong, and India to Australia. We also moved to one of the most exotic capitals in the Near East, with the opening of the Phoenicia InterContinental in Beirut.

1946: Juan Trippe, founder of Pan American Airways, founded the InterContinental Hotels Corporation. Since then, millions of affluent travellers from all over the world, including heads of government, royalty and celebrities have stayed in our hotels.

1

Complete the activities for 2.1 Introduction in your workbook.

THE INTERCONTINENTAL® BRAND PROMISE

2.2

OVER TO YOU

Each day, you create the InterContinental Life by understanding your guests.

DEFINITION

WHAT IS A BRAND PROMISE?

DEFINITION

WHAT IS THE INTERCONTINENTAL LIFE?

It’s the alluring lifestyle we offer to every guest who stays with us. It’s about the experience of seven decades in the spotlight, and having hotels and resorts all over the world. Most importantly, it’s about every single hotel and resort providing a doorway to the InterContinental Life, through the luxurious experiences and personalised services you provide.

A brand promise is what we commit to our guests. It is what they expect from us. It’s not a description of what we do, but a description of our character. It’s what makes us different, and what our guests know us by.

Every action we take helps deliver on this promise. From the first time we greet a guest, through cleaning their room, and serving them a drink at the bar, to wishing them a warm farewell, every moment of their stay is an opportunity for us to provide them with the InterContinental Life. By continually delivering on our brand promise, we have become a symbol of glamour, sophistication and success.

‘GLOBAL ETIQUETTE’ – THE SERVICE PHILOSOPHY OF INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS & RESORTS:

Our guests want and need to travel the world in luxury. We combine our understanding of cultures and customs from around the world, with our local knowledge to give our guests the best of both worlds. We always deliver every service moment with sophistication and elegance. When we deliver attentive, personalised service to our guests that shows them local custom, and reassures them when they’re away from home, we are offering them the InterContinental Life.

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BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 8 2.2 THE INTERCONTINENTAL® BRAND PROMISE

How have we continued to make great things happen over all these years? The secret to our success lies in our brand promise.

The InterContinental® brand promise is easy to remember: We promise the InterContinental Life.

Complete the activities for 2.2 The InterContinental Brand Promise in your workbook.

THE GUEST2.3

Our guests are asking for a personalised service, that takes into account their culture and local customs, so that they can experience new things, while also feeling comfortable and at home. This is the InterContinental Life.

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BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 10 2.3 THE GUEST

Without our guests we cannot deliver the InterContinental Life or continue to make great things happen. Our promise and our service philosophy come from our guests.

• They are affluent and experienced travellers.

• They travel frequently, and are accustomed to

luxury surroundings.

• They love to explore new places, learn about

new cultures and meet new people.

• They are naturally confident and curious.

• They appreciate the finer things in life, but want

the feeling of warmth and personality during

their stay.

Our typical guest travels either for business or pleasure, and sometimes combines the two. When they travel for business, they also want to explore new places. This might mean extending their stay for the weekend to explore the city and relax, or simply find a few hours to go to the theatre, spend time in the spa or visit a cultural site. When our guests travel for leisure, it is often with their partner or family. This means we can tailor their stay to their needs so they can spend quality time together and create special memories with each other.

We have spoken to many of our guests to understand what they expect from us, so we can deliver on our brand promise.

WHO IS THE INTERCONTINENTAL® HOTELS & RESORTS TARGET GUEST?

OUR GUESTS WANT:

WHAT BRINGS OUR TARGET GUEST TO INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS & RESORTS?

A warm welcome and farewell:

‘You can walk into a beautifully designed hotel, but that is completely destroyed if you go to reception and don't get good service.’

1.

To feel reassured when they’re away from home, but also experience different cultures:

‘I need to feel that you recognise and value my own culture, but I also want to be enriched by a truly local experience.’

2.

To eat local foods, but not feel too far from home:

‘On the first day I want to discover the local food but by the second night I am craving a familiar dish.’

3.

To feel special:

‘Sometimes, depending on the occasion, I want to feel extra special. We are happy to pay more for that extra level of attentive service.’

4.

Complete the activities for 2.3 The Guest in your workbook.

THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

2.4

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BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 12

EVERY SINGLE COLLEAGUE NEEDS TO REMEMBER THE FOUR POINTS OF GLOBAL ETIQUETTE, TO CREATE EXPERIENCES OUR GUESTS DESIRE:

It’s important that every guest feels completely welcome. Our hotels must feel like home.

Respect guests’ culture and customs1.

By providing knowledge about the destination, local delicacies, or our world-class services, we can delight our guests.

Offer international and local knowledge2.

This provides a sense of place through our service style, and adds to the allure of international travel.

Acknowledge with a local or personal ‘greeting’

3.

We take care of our guests by providing an attentive and personal service.

Always show the way4.

Our aim to provide attentive, personalised service is summed up in our

service philosophy – Global Etiquette.

2.4 THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

The Worldly Classics Food and Beverage Offering

TOP TIP

You can introduce the InterContinental Life by sharing knowledge and telling stories about the special drinks and dishes we serve, so our guests know they are enjoying the very best the world has to offer.

Our food and beverage offering is also about recognising and adapting to our guests’ culture and customs. We offer the best exotic local cuisines, or comforting food from home, and make sure that both are part of creating a rich dining experience.

REMEMBER

Whenever possible, greet your guests by name.

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BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 13

From listening to our guests, we know how important their first impression of an InterContinental hotel or resort is. We need to make sure their InterContinental guest journey or story starts well. The warm, and memorable welcome begins with our charismatic doorman, who greets our guests appropriately.

The Welcome1.

Our guests want to experience their destination fully, so we always offer a sense of place in our service style by greeting them using the local language.

OVER TO YOU

How do you greet your guests?

A huge part of delivering an experience that matches our guests’ expectations is providing the finest food and beverage offering. Our restaurants and bars are vibrant social destinations for both guests and informed locals, and home to some of the world’s finest chefs and sommeliers.

2.SATISFY THESE EXPECTATIONS BY

DELIVERING GLOBAL ETIQUETTE

DURING FOUR KEY MOMENTS OF

YOUR GUESTS’ STAY:

2.4 THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

OVER TO YOU

Whether you work behind a bar, at the front desk, or in housekeeping, there will always be times when you can help deliver on these moments of truth – and ensure that every one of our guests experiences the InterContinental Life.

TOP TIP

You can help deliver on the brand’s promise by making sure you always look for ways to upgrade the service for our VIP guests.

We understand our guests’ travel plans, offer assistance with luggage and provide appropriate taxi, traffic or airport information. We also record all information we exchange with each guest. This helps us to improve and personalise their next visit. Most importantly, we say a sincere and genuine goodbye. After all, it’s not just a departure; it’s farewell – until next time.

REMEMBER

A good farewell helps create an emotional connection with our guests that ensures they choose to stay with us again.

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BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 14 2.4 THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

While the welcome creates a good first impression, our farewell makes sure that impression lasts.

The Farewell4.

Our guests have told us that true luxury means personal, unique service. With Club InterContinental, we provide a tailored experience to our most valuable guests. By contacting them ahead of their arrival to discuss their preferences, and offering a private in-room check-in, we make sure their stay is suited to their needs.

Club InterContinental guests also have access to the Club Lounge, an exclusive area where guests can work or relax during the day – and in the evening, it becomes a place to socialise and enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail.

Club InterContinental®3.

Complete the activities for 2.4 The Guest Experience in your workbook.

CONCLUSION2.5

OVER TO YOU

As you go out to perform your duties as an InterContinental colleague, look around your hotel, and ask yourself: what can I do differently? What special moments can I create for my guests today?

Thank you for all the stories you are going to help create. Thank you for helping make great things happen.

We need every colleague to find ways to deliver the InterContinental Life. Sometimes, that means making sure we return something they may have forgotten in the hotel, knocking on their door with a cup of coffee because they were worried about oversleeping through an important meeting, or providing a surprise gift for their child’s birthday. Our job is to create memories for our guests that they can share with their friends and family when they get home. We create these memories by remembering our brand promise, our guests’ expectations and how we can deliver on these every single day.

The InterContinental®’s brand promise cannot be delivered without you.

REMEMBER

No matter who our guests may be, we must strive to make every single one of them feel appreciated, recognised and important.

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BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 16 2.5 CONCLUSION

To ensure we continue the story of making great things happen at our hotels and resorts.

OUR GOAL:

Complete the activities for 2.5 Conclusion in your workbook.