Prevue March/April 2015 - (Page 72)

InterContinental Europe InterContinental Hotels Europe sees rise in incentives [ON LOCATION] GREG OATES B udapest, Prague and Vienna constitute the "Golden Triangle" of imperial cities that anchored the AustroHungarian Empire during the Habsburg Dynasty. InterContinental Hotels was the ﬁrst global hospitality brand to open in all three cities. During our visit last November, we also visited Davos, Switzerland, to explore the new InterContinental property there. IMS DMC handled all logistics exceedingly well, with excellent in-house guides providing in-depth insight into local culture. "There's a lot of pent up demand for Europe right now because so many groups curtailed their European programs after 2009," says Christopher Koleros, area director of sales/marketing, Europe, at InterContinental Hotels. "Also, many people have experienced Western Europe before so cities like Budapest, Prague and Vienna are very attractive to incentive winners, while our hotel in Davos is new so there's a lot of excitement around that too." Koleros added that InterContinental is ramping up its European group sales staff by 20 percent in 2015 to meet the increased demand. BUDAPEST: MEETINGS ON THE DANUBE A great way to open a program in Budapest for up to 200 is with a sunset river cruise down the Danube aboard the Attila ship built in 1923. On the Pest side of the river, the gothic Hungarian Parliament Building built in 1896-the third largest government building in the world-is a jaw-dropping sight when lit up a night. 68 | prevue magazine On the Buda side, the magisterial Buda Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on a high promontory overlooking the city. Next to that, the 14th century Matthias Catholic Church is equally dramatic. Across the river from Buda Castle, the 402-room InterContinental Budapest sits on the busy river boardwalk where locals and visitors stroll along the water's edge while vintage tramcars slowly pass by. You feel viscerally connected to the city's romance and mystery when you're meeting here. The views are stunning, and everything is within walking distance in the downtown core. All of the InterContinental's meeting and function space is on the second ﬂoor-a grand staircase connects to a private street level entrance. The hotel has the largest ballroom in Hungary, hosting up to 1,000 theater-style. Divisible by three, the ballroom faces the city with ﬂoor-to-ceiling glass. Facing the Danube, there are nine function spaces and boardrooms, and the extra large Club Lounge with all-day food and beverage service. In the Lounge and everywhere else, the service level is impeccable. "It always comes down to service, and we always try to give our guests a very high level of personalized service," says GM Claus Geisselmann. "We're 17 years as an InterContinental and we've seen a lot, so you have a great combination of a young and eager staff and well-traveled senior staff from around the world." He adds that the values are exceptional, with group rates starting at $150, including WiFi and full buffet breakfast.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue March/April 2015

Planner’s Pick: Los Angeles
Fresh Meets: The Evolution of Local Hospitality
Bureau Buzz: Atlanta
Good Business: On the Agenda: Zero Waste
Sea Shores: American Queen Steamboat Company
Incentive Bound
FLORIDA
CALIFORNIA
NASHVILLE
IHG EUROPE
On Location: Bermuda
CLUB MED CANCUN YUCATAN
On Location: Beaches Turks & Caicos
On Location: St. Kitts
On Location: Delano Las Vegas
Club Med Meetins, Incentives and Corporate Events 2015 Edition

Prevue March/April 2015