InterContinental
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA global luxury hotel brand established by Pan Am in 1946 and now operated by IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Last updated August 26, 2026
Overview
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the luxury hotel brand created in 1946 by Juan Trippe, founder and president of Pan American World Airways. Its original purpose was closely connected to the development of international air travel: Pan Am and the U.S. government believed that professionally managed, high-quality hotels could encourage business and tourism in countries where upscale accommodation was limited. The hotels were also intended to serve Pan Am passengers and flight crews. The enterprise began as International Hotels Corporation, wholly owned by Pan Am, and was renamed Intercontinental Hotels Corporation in 1947 to reflect ambitions beyond Latin America. The first hotel operated by the company was the 85-room Grande Hotel in Belém, Brazil, taken over in 1949. Early growth concentrated on Latin America and the Caribbean, including properties in Santiago, Caracas, Maracaibo, Barranquilla, Mexico City, Bermuda, Montevideo and Bogotá. InterContinental developed a distinctive model that combined international standards with locally influenced architecture, interiors and cultural references. During the 1950s and 1960s, the brand expanded into the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Australia. It became the first American hotel chain to operate in Eastern Europe, managing hotels in cities including Zagreb, Budapest, Bucharest, Prague and Warsaw during the Cold War. The brand’s historical portfolio included both newly built hotels and the management or leasing of established landmark properties. Its design approach sought to express a recognizable form of modern American luxury without making every hotel identical. Designer Neal Prince contributed interiors and branding for numerous properties between 1961 and 1985. In 1966, the chain was formally styled Inter•Continental Hotels, although Inter-Continental was also widely used in writing. A moderately priced Forum Hotels line was introduced in 1972, broadening the parent company’s hotel activities beyond the luxury segment. InterContinental changed ownership several times after Pan Am encountered financial difficulties. Pan Am sold the hotel division to Grand Metropolitan in 1981. Grand Metropolitan merged its own hotels into the Inter-Continental and Forum businesses, before selling the chain to Japan’s Seibu Saison Group in 1988. Seibu Saison sold it to Bass PLC in 1998. Following Bass’s separation from its brewing activities and subsequent corporate restructuring, the hospitality company became InterContinental Hotels Group in 2003, and the brand dropped the hyphen from its name. Today, InterContinental is IHG’s flagship luxury brand. Its hotels typically offer full-service accommodation, destination-oriented food and beverage, meeting and event facilities, concierge services, wellness amenities and, at selected properties, Club InterContinental lounges. The portfolio includes urban landmarks, resort hotels, historic properties and large convention-oriented hotels. As of January 2023, the brand had 208 hotels and 70,287 rooms worldwide, according to the cited Wikipedia article. The brand’s current positioning emphasizes culturally informed luxury, international service standards and distinctive locations rather than a single standardized hotel format.
History
InterContinental was created in the context of the expansion of international civil aviation after the Second World War. In 1945, Juan Trippe and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt discussed the shortage of modern hotels in Latin America and the potential economic benefits of attracting businessmen and tourists. Pan Am subsequently arranged financing support and established International Hotels Corporation on 4 April 1946. The company was renamed Intercontinental Hotels Corporation in early 1947 as its intended geographic scope widened. The first operating property was the Grande Hotel in Belém, Brazil, which Intercontinental assumed in May 1949. A second property, Hotel Carrera in Santiago, Chile, followed in January 1950. Additional early hotels were taken over in Colombia, Mexico and Bermuda, while newly built properties opened in Montevideo, Caracas, Maracaibo and Bogotá. Hotel Tequendama in Bogotá was especially significant because it was developed, designed and constructed under Intercontinental’s supervision and became one of the largest hotels in South America. By 1958, the chain had sixteen hotels in Latin America and the Caribbean. International expansion accelerated in the 1960s. The Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut opened in 1961, followed in 1962 by properties in Liberia, Indonesia and Australia. The first European openings came in Ireland in 1963. In 1964, Intercontinental assumed management of Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb, becoming the first American hotel chain to operate in Eastern Europe. It later entered Budapest, Bucharest, Prague and Warsaw, making the brand an unusual Western hospitality presence behind the Iron Curtain. The company’s design philosophy combined modern American hotel planning with decorative and architectural elements associated with each location. Neal Prince served as a major design figure, contributing work to 135 hotels between 1961 and 1985. The chain adopted the Inter•Continental Hotels styling in 1966. In 1972 it introduced Forum Hotels, a lower-priced line, and in 1973 it entered the United States by taking over management of San Francisco’s Mark Hopkins Hotel. Ownership changed substantially in the 1980s and 1990s. Grand Metropolitan acquired the division from Pan Am in 1981, Seibu Saison acquired it in 1988, and Bass PLC acquired it in 1998. Bass later refocused on hospitality after selling its brewing operations, became Six Continents in 2001, and created InterContinental Hotels Group in 2003 after separating its pubs and bars business. The modern InterContinental brand operates as IHG’s luxury flagship. Its estate includes city hotels, resorts, historic landmarks and large properties designed for meetings and conventions. The brand’s value proposition rests on a combination of global operating standards, high-touch service, local cultural expression and prominent locations. Notable properties include Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C., and InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in the Wilshire Grand Center. The Inter-Continental Kabul, which opened in 1969 and ceased operating as part of the chain after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, continues to use the name independently and is not affiliated with IHG.
- 2023
Reported global estate reaches 208 hotels
[1]The cited reference reports 208 InterContinental hotels and 70,287 rooms worldwide as of January 2023.
- 2003
InterContinental Hotels Group is formed
[1]Following corporate restructuring and the demerger of the pubs and bars business, the hospitality company becomes IHG.
- 1998
Bass acquires Inter-Continental
[1]Bass PLC buys the hotel chain from Seibu Saison.
- 1988
Seibu Saison acquires the chain
[1]The Tokyo-based Seibu Saison Group purchases Inter-Continental Hotels from Grand Metropolitan.
- 1981
Grand Metropolitan acquires the hotel division
[1]Pan Am sells Inter-Continental Hotels to Grand Metropolitan.
- 1973
First United States property
[1]Inter-Continental assumes management of the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco.
- 1972
Forum Hotels is launched
[1]The company introduces a moderately priced hotel line beginning with the Lee Gardens Hotel in Hong Kong.
- 1966
Inter•Continental branding is introduced
[1]The chain formally adopts the Inter•Continental Hotels styling.
- 1964
Entry into Eastern Europe
[1]Intercontinental assumes management of Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb, then part of Yugoslavia.
- 1961
Entry into the Middle East
[1]The Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut becomes the chain’s first Middle Eastern property.
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Products and positioning
Global luxury hospitality with locally distinctive design, service and cultural experiences.
Luxury hotel brand · 1946
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
The core brand offers upscale and luxury accommodation in major cities, resorts and historically significant destinations. Properties generally combine full-service rooms and suites with restaurants, bars, concierge support, meetings and events, wellness facilities and locally influenced design. The portfolio includes both purpose-built hotels and landmark properties operated under management or lease arrangements.
Premium hotel service
Club InterContinental
Club InterContinental is a premium access and lounge proposition available at selected hotels. Depending on the property, it may include a dedicated lounge, enhanced breakfast and refreshments, private check-in or checkout assistance, meeting space and personalized service. Availability and exact benefits vary by hotel.
Mid-priced hotel line · 1972
Forum Hotels
Forum Hotels was a moderately priced hotel line introduced by Inter-Continental in 1972. The first property was the Lee Gardens Hotel in Hong Kong. The line reflected the parent company’s effort to serve a broader range of travelers beyond its luxury brand.
Brand decisions
2003
Reorganize as InterContinental Hotels GroupStrategyBackground
The parent company was refocusing on hospitality after disposing of its brewing interests and separating its pubs and bars operations.
Action taken
The hospitality company adopted the InterContinental Hotels Group name and standardized the hotel brand’s spelling without the hyphen.
Aftermath
InterContinental became one of several brands within the newly focused IHG portfolio.
1972
Broaden the portfolio with Forum HotelsStrategyBackground
The company sought to participate in price segments below its established luxury positioning.
Action taken
Inter-Continental introduced the moderately priced Forum Hotels line.
Aftermath
The move expanded the company’s brand architecture beyond the flagship luxury chain.
1964
Operate behind the Iron CurtainStrategyBackground
Western hotel companies had limited presence in Eastern Europe during the Cold War.
Action taken
Intercontinental assumed management of Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb and subsequently entered several other Eastern European capitals.
Aftermath
The brand developed an unusual position among Western hospitality companies by operating in Yugoslavia and other Eastern European markets.
1946
Use hotels to support international air travelStrategyBackground
Pan Am and U.S. policymakers identified a shortage of high-quality hotels in Latin America and viewed hospitality development as a way to encourage business travel and tourism.
Action taken
Pan Am created a dedicated hotel subsidiary and arranged financing for a large-scale hotel development program.
Aftermath
The initiative became an international hotel network that expanded beyond Pan Am’s original Latin American focus.
Recent events
- 2003
Hospitality company becomes InterContinental Hotels Group[1]
M&A
The company separated its pubs and bars business into Mitchells & Butlers and adopted the InterContinental Hotels Group name; the hotel brand also standardized its name without the hyphen.
- 2001
Bass becomes Six Continents[1]
Other
After selling its brewing business, Bass adopted the Six Continents name and focused on hotels, restaurants and bars.
- 1998
Seibu Saison sells Inter-Continental to Bass[1]
M&A
The Saison Group transferred ownership of the hotel chain to British brewer and hospitality company Bass PLC.
- 1981
Pan Am sells Inter-Continental Hotels to Grand Metropolitan[1]
M&A
Pan Am sold its profitable hotel division to Grand Metropolitan during a period of serious financial pressure for the airline.
- 1946
Pan Am establishes the hotel company that becomes InterContinental[1]
Other
Pan Am founded International Hotels Corporation to develop internationally oriented hotels, following discussions about using hospitality infrastructure to support tourism and economic development.
Sources6 sources
- 1InterContinentalen.wikipedia.org
- 2InterContinental Hotels & Resorts official websiteihg.com
- 3洲际酒店及度假村发布“洲际知行印象”计划prnasia.com
- 4IHG Launches InterContinental IConsftnnews.com
- 5InterContinental Hotels & Resorts launcht InterContinental ICons, um Reisenden zu zeigen, was die großen Städte dieser Welt so einzigartig machtfinanznachrichten.de
- 6InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts Launches InterContinental ICons, Inviting Travellers to Rediscover What Makes a City Truly Fascinatingprnewswire.co.uk
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