InterContinental Hotels Group opens 201-room Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo hotel in Ontario following $12 million renovation

Upscale hotel has undergone $12 million renovation

KITCHENER-WATERLOO, 2014-04-15 — /Travel PR News/ — InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] announces the opening of the 201-room Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo hotel in Ontario, following a significant renovation funded by the owner, Vista Hospitality Group. Located at 105 King Street East, the hotel features eight suites, including an exclusive presidential suite with multiple rooms, Jacuzzi and fireplace.

Prominently located in the heart of downtown Kitchener’s business district, this hotel is the fourth Crowne Plaza location in Ontario and the eighth in Canada. The hotel is within walking distance to several corporate offices, including Google, Manulife, Rogers, and more, as well as federal and provincial government buildings. The hotel is also near two major Canadian universities – the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, and well-positioned to access planned light rail transit.

“We are pleased to expand the Crowne Plaza brand in Ontario, especially in such a convenient location for business travelers,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Americas Brand Management, Upscale Brands, IHG. “We know our guests need to be productive when they’re on the road for work, and our hotels offer the service and amenities that enable them to be successful.”

Business travelers can take advantage of the Crowne Plaza brand’s reputation as the ideal choice for meetings and events; the hotel offers 17,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and the comprehensive Crowne Plaza meetings program. This program and other amenities like complimentary Wi-Fi access, SMART Table connectivity and a 24 hour business centre make it easy for guests to get work done.

With more than $12 million (CAD) invested by the owner in the renovation, all guest rooms and the fitness centre were completely revamped to offer a sleek, modern and welcoming design. Guests have access to a bowling alley, mini putt and yoga studio, as well as a swimming pool, sauna and squash courts to help recharge the body and soul. Menu selections are offered at the upscale lounge and bar, including healthy food options on the breakfast menu.

The hotel features the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage® program, which encompasses the entire sleep experience, from training staff on how to create and maintain a restful environment to providing innovative products and services such as signature bedding, designated quiet zones on two floors and aromatherapy.

The hotel has achieved IHG’s highest level of environmental certification through its Green Engage program. The Green Key 4 certification includes environmental initiatives pertaining to water conservation, energy savings programs with ENERNOC, recycle programs for cooking oils and many more.

“We’re incredibly excited to join the Crowne Plaza brand, which we feel is a strong fit for downtown Kitchener-Waterloo,” said Yari Khan, the hotel’s general manager. “Our close proximity to several corporate offices will attract business travelers and by offering Crowne Plaza services and amenities we will enable these travelers to have a successful trip.”

Crowne Plaza hotels participate in IHG’s guest loyalty program, IHG®Rewards Club, which is the industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program with more than 77 million members. IHG® Rewards Club is free to join and guests can enroll at ihgrewardsclub.com, by downloading the IHG® app, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG’s more than 4,700 hotels worldwide. All IHG Rewards Club members will have access to free Internet globally in 2014. The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands means that our hotels can meet our guests’ needs whatever the occasion.

About Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts
Part of the IHG global portfolio, the Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts brand is a dynamic upscale hotel brand located in nearly 65 countries around the world in major urban centers, gateway cities and resort destinations. As the fourth largest upscale full-service hotel brand in the world and one of the fastest growing, the Crowne Plaza brand has a solid foundation for future growth. The portfolio has doubled since 2003 to nearly 400 hotels, and the global pipeline has increased fourfold to nearly 100 hotels. At Crowne Plaza hotels, we help our guests feel energized and productive, with 24-hour business services, wireless Internet access in the lobby, and fitness and leisure facilities. Our Sleep Advantage® program ensures our guests get a great night’s sleep to power through their day. For reservations at Crowne Plaza properties, visit www.ihg.com/crowneplaza or call 1-877-2CROWNE. Connect with us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/crowneplaza or Facebook: www.Facebook.com/crowneplaza.

About the Vista Hospitality Group
With offices in Kitchener, Ontario and Binghamton, New York, the Vista Hospitality Group owns and operates hotels, resorts and other commercial properties throughout Ontario, Quebec, New York, South Carolina and Florida. Offering more than 2,700 rooms, Vista has received numerous awards for excellence in hotel management.   Vista also offers sophisticated and modern information management systems that form the basis of a highly efficient and effective organizational and corporate structure. The Vista executive team is extremely diverse, and has acquired a reputation for proven performance at all of its properties.  More information is available at www.vistahospitality.com.

Media Contact:
Brent Marson, Hill + Knowlton Strategies, brent.marson@hkstrategies.ca, (416) 413-4633

Notes to Editors:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organization 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 program with over 77 million members worldwide. The program 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/media, www.twitter.com/ihg,www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

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