InterContinental Dubai Marina welcomes celebrity chef Jason Atherton’s first restaurant in the Middle East

Dubai, UAE, 2014-03-12 — /Travel PR News/ — InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the largest international hotel group in the Middle East, announced today that celebrity chef Jason Atherton will debut his first restaurant in the Middle East in the upcoming InterContinental Dubai Marina.

Atherton cut his culinary teeth in Dubai when he served as executive chef of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant Verre in 2001. He then gained worldwide recognition in 2011 when his flagship London restaurant, Pollen Street Social, was awarded a Michelin star just one year after opening its doors. Having earned accolades including British GQ Chef of the Year, Jason Atherton is now returning to Dubai to expand his international culinary reach, which includes highly acclaimed restaurants in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai.

The opening of InterContinental Dubai Marina by this year will bring Atherton’s upcoming signature restaurant and bar to the cosmopolitan Dubai Marina area. The venture is a culmination of Atherton’s international experience and knowledge of the region and will offer an immaculate fine dining experience, as well as a trendy nightspot, for guests and residents alike.

Speaking on the restaurant’s opening, Jason Atherton said: “The Marina has transformed by leaps and bounds since I last lived here 10 years ago, and it’s exciting to be a part of the area’s vibrant culinary scene. I’m looking forward to working with InterContinental Hotels and Resorts and being a part of their repertoire of world-class signature restaurants.”

Part of the Bay Central development, InterContinental Dubai Marina is set to open by the end of 2014. Within walking distance of the popular Jumeirah Beach Residences’ (JBR) beach, the luxury hotel will also boast direct views over the water at the Marina. It will feature 132 hotel rooms, 196 InterContinental Residential Suites and seven additional food and beverage outlets, including restaurants, bars and a 600m2night club.

A spokesman for Select Group, owners of the hotel commented “This is an exciting time for Dubai, a world class holiday destination, and being able to put these two exceptional brands together in Jason Atherton and InterContinental is something we are very proud of.  Jason Atherton’s exquisite culinary skills and IHG’s ability to deliver world class five-star hotels will ensure an incredible experience for all InterContinental Dubai Marina’s guests”.

As well as top dining experiences, guests will also enjoy an InterContinental spa, health club and outdoor swimming pool and pool deck. For the business traveller the hotel will offer a suite of facilities, including a boardroom and eight meeting rooms, the largest of which will accommodate 100 people.

Phil Broad, Vice President of Food & Beverage, Asia, Middle East and Africa, at IHG, commented: “Food is a critical part of travelling and entertaining and we understand the need to deliver extraordinary dining experiences for our guests and diners. That’s why we have established this partnership with Jason Atherton. We place a high emphasis on working with the best culinary talent in the industry and are confident that our collaboration with Jason will take Dubai by storm.”

Ignace Bauwens, Vice President of Operations, UAE, Near East & Africa, IHG, added: “The opening of InterContinental Dubai Marina will bring a new level of dining and nightlife experiences to the Marina. In the three years since opening his first restaurant, Jason Atherton has become renowned for his simple yet elegant spaces, a quality which chimes perfectly with the InterContinental brand.  It is a privilege to be the one to bring this remarkable talent back to Dubai.”

InterContinental Dubai Marina will be the fourth InterContinental hotel in the UAE, joining InterContinental Abu Dhabi and InterContinental Dubai Festival City. IHG currently has 18 hotels open in the UAE and seven hotels in the development pipeline.

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 and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts.

IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 77 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 687,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,100 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate over the next few years.

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/mediawww.twitter.com/ihg,www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

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InterContinental Dubai Marina welcomes celebrity chef Jason Atherton's first restaurant in the Middle East

InterContinental Dubai Marina welcomes celebrity chef Jason Atherton’s first restaurant in the Middle East