March 06, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced that the Crowne Plaza Chicago-Northbrook has opened, after undergoing a $16 million renovation and conversion from a Radisson. Renovations included upgrades to all public areas, including the addition of new marble floors, meeting rooms, guestroom soft goods, new fitness equipment and an expanded business center.
“We’re pleased to bring the sixth Crowne Plaza hotel to the Chicago market,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Management, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, the Americas. “There are several businesses in the Northbrook area that will benefit from the meetings-savvy services that only a Crowne Plaza can provide.”
Located in the prestigious northern suburbs of Chicago, the Crowne Plaza Northbrook is just 20 minutes from downtown Chicago and nine miles from O’Hare International Airport. Business travelers to the Crowne Plaza will enjoy the hotel’s proximity to the headquarters of companies such as Allstate, Kraft, Walgreens, Siemens and Anixter, and the hotel offers microwaves, refrigerators and complimentary high-speed Internet access in all guest rooms, with the business traveler in mind.
Consistent with the Crowne Plaza brand, the hotel offers a comprehensive meetings program to ensure a seamless planning process and exceptional meeting experience consisting of three key components: a Two-Hour Response Guarantee, Crowne Meetings Director and a Daily Meetings Debrief. The hotel has 19 meeting rooms with 15,000 square feet of flexible upscale meeting space for business functions or special events.
The hotel also features the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage, available at all Crowne Plaza hotels in the Americas. Sleep Advantage encompasses the entire sleep experience, from training staff on how to create and maintain a restful environment to providing innovative products and services. Program components include signature bedding, guaranteed wake-up calls, designated quiet zones, night lights, drape clips, sleep CDs, sleep tips and amenities such as eye masks, ear plugs and lavender spray.
The seven-story 318-room Crowne Plaza Chicago-Northbrook offers a variety of amenities, including an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, 24-hour business center, complimentary shuttle service and 37-inch flat-panel televisions in all guestrooms. Eight junior suites are available with a spacious living area and dining table for two. The hotel also offers 11 two-room suites, each with more than 540 square feet of space. Guests can enjoy The Willows, serving casual American cuisine for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and Scoreboard sports bar offers a chance to relax with a cold beverage and watch the hometown team.
“We are proud to be a part of the IHG family,” said John Bays, president, Bays Hospitality Corporation. “As a Crowne Plaza, we can offer new benefits for our current guests and welcome Priority Club members who might be new to our hotel. Our location in the prestigious Northbrook suburb of Chicago will provide a more convenient meetings hotel option to the many Fortune 500 companies in the area.”
The Crowne Plaza Chicago-Northbrook is located at 2785 N. Milwaukee Ave., Northbrook, Ill., 60062.
The Crowne Plaza Chicago-Northbrook is owned and managed by Bays Hospitality Corporation, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts participates in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has 42 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,150 hotels worldwide.
Crowne Plaza was recently recognized by Lodging Hospitality magazine as one of the industry’s top growing brands. As part of the IHG global portfolio, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has more than 300 hotels in nearly 60 countries, and are located in major urban centers, gateway cities and resort destinations. For reservations at Crowne Plaza properties, visit http://www.crowneplaza.com/ or call 1-800-2CROWNE.
Media Contacts:
Caroline Sanfilippo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, caroline.sanfilippo (at) ihg (dot) com, 770.604.2495
Monica Smith, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, monica.smith (at) ihg (dot) com, 770.604.5562
Notes to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 4,150 hotels and almost 620,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and also manages the world’s largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 42 million members worldwide.
IHG has more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 200,000 jobs worldwide 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.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media
