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News from Members InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest brings a new era of luxury hospitality refinement in Romania

InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest brings a new era of luxury hospitality refinement in Romania

by InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest January 31, 2023

ANA Hotels opens new era of luxury hospitality in Romania with the rebranding of the Athénée Palace Hotel to InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts newest destination promises a refined experience in an urban landscape dominated by art and history.

The iconic hotel located in George Enescu Square is currently the only hotel in Romania operated under the InterContinental brand. The rebranding process evolved gradually over the last year, in conjunction with the major modernization and restoration investment carried out over the last 2 years by the owner company ANA Hotels, so that the existing facilities could be upgraded to the luxury, comfort and quality standards agreed with the InterContinental brand, which has been pioneering luxury travel in new destinations for more than 75 years.

"IHG Hotels & Resorts is one of the most important players in the global hotel industry. Therefore, we wanted to bring the sophistication and high standards of the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand under the dome of the Athénée Palace in Bucharest. After a substantial investment over the last two years, I can say that we have successfully integrated the new luxury vision of the hotel together with IHG. Choosing the new partner to take over the hotel management proved to be an elaborated process that started in 2021. The decision to operate under the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand umbrella complements an earlier collaboration between ANA Hotels and IHG Hotels & Resorts, which began in 1998, based on a management contract and subsequently on the franchise contract  for the hotel Crowne Plaza Bucharest, also owned by ANA Hotels in Bucharest.” - says George Copos, owner of ANA Hotels. 

Paying homage to its 75-year history, InterContinental’s design captures the allure of international travel for the modern luxury traveller. Guests are in search of new levels of sophistication, expecting a hotel to not only look good, but to feel good too. InterContinental’s décor is a perfect canvas of discreet quality where luxury is truly a state of mind. The design of InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest went through a series of changes elaborated by Alexander James Interiors Architects, a British architectural company, in collaboration with local architects and artists such as Inegal Design local architecture company, Prof. Valeriu Mladin, Ioan Nemțoi and others. The vision combines the architectural values of the local historical monument with the requirements of luxury standards, using natural elements and decorations, with particular attention to details and aesthetic balance.

Based on these principles, an extensive modernization process was carried out in two stages. While the first phase targeted changes focused on the renovation of the 132 rooms in the newly built wing of the hotel, in the second part the efforts were directed towards the renovation of the façade, the common areas and the 151 rooms in the hotel's historic building, built in 1914.

The design concept is based on both the modernism of everyday life and the elegance that complements the hotel's over 100-year history. The interior design brings to the fore a neutral colour palette with accents of green, highlighting the natural materials used. Brushed and bevelled oak flooring, walls decorated with three types of ornamental beech wood profiles, bathrooms entirely covered with natural Botticino and Grigio Imperiale marble in warm beige and grey tones, are just some of the details that give the place a note of authenticity and refinement.

The local accents, which the InterContinental brand supports in each hotel, are this time integrated through the artworks on display, which bear the signatures of established Romanian artists. "During this rebranding period, we have discovered a lot of interesting things about Romania and especially about the unique place that Athénée Palace hotel had in society throughout its history. Precisely because we wanted to integrate these aspects of the local culture, we’ve collaborated with artists who perfectly translated our vision of the hotel. Starting with 2023, guests can discover a completely new, up-to-date experience that highlights the authenticity and history of the well-known building next to the Athenaeum, enhancing in return the urban landscape and the community that it is part of." - states Nicolaas Houwert, General Manager InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest.  

At the same time, the entire hotel's facilities are upgraded to the latest technology so the guests can enjoy a complete experience in a prestigious place that is up to international standards, being continuously concerned with the implementation of sustainable processes, with care for the environment. Excellence is also found in the quality of the hotel services, with a special emphasis on team members’ value and qualification.

By consolidating this alliance between ANA Hotels and IHG Hotels & Resorts, Bucharest’s image capital will increase, being beneficial for the entire community.

Find more information about the hotel and reservations online and follow us on the InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest Instagram account.

ENDS

About IHG Hotels & Resorts

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 325,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG One Rewards. To download the new IHG One Rewards app, visit the Apple Store or Google Play stores.

 

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About InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts

The InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts brand makes travel alluring, with insights from 75 years of experience. Each of our properties provides a gateway to the glamour of the InterContinental Life. As a brand, we aim to embody global sophistication through our superior, understated service and exceptional amenities. What makes us truly different is the genuine interest we show our guests through personalised and attentive services. We offer our most valued guests signature VIP services through a dedicated InterContinental® Ambassador programme and an exclusive Club InterContinental® experience. We connect our well-travelled guests to what’s special about a destination, so they enjoy authentic local experiences that will enrich their lives. For more information and to book, visit www.intercontinental.com, and connect with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/intercontinental and Instagram www.instagram.com/intercontinental.

About ANA Hotels

"InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest" hotel is part of the largest Romanian private hotel group, "ANA Hotels". The company also owns and operates the "Crowne Plaza Bucharest" hotels, three hotels in Poiana Brașov - "Sport", "Bradul" and "Poiana" Ana Hotels, and "Ana Hotels Europa", which includes the "ANA Aslan Health Spa" in Eforie Nord, as well as the operator of the ski facilities in Poiana Brașov - ANA Teleferic, which recently added to its portfolio the Panoramic Restaurant on Tâmpa Mountain in Brașov.

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