IHG to Provide Automated Capabilities for Meeting Planners
Crowne Plaza - 'The Place to Meet' is the first hotel brand to adopt Passkey brand-w
SEPTEMBER 5, 2007. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [Lon: IHG, NYSE: IHG], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced that meeting planners booking group events at IHG hotels will be able to do so with greater ease and efficiency through a web-based group reservation solution provided by technology company Passkey. During 2008, IHG will implement the capability in over 250 hotels across the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza brands in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in some select Holiday Inn hotels.
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn properties will offer meeting planners full integration to all Passkey tools including a customized event-specific hotel reservation website. On the site, meeting planners will be able to upload rooming lists, automatically link reservation information to IHG hotels, track hotel block pick-up and reservation status through real-time reports and updates that review every facet of the process. At the same time, event attendees will be able to make and manage their hotel reservations online.
'Utilizing Passkey across our InterContinental and Crowne Plaza brands in the U.S. and Canada will provide meeting planners with consistent and reliable group booking capabilities and help ensure their event attendees enjoy the experience," said Del Ross, vice president, distribution marketing, the Americas, IHG. 'Gaining brand loyalty with meeting planners is critical, as meetings and events represent a large part of our business.'
With this solution, IHG expects to further streamline the group reservation process, increase meeting planner loyalty and drive incremental revenue from its group reservations.
"As 'The Place to Meet,' Crowne Plaza strives to be the first choice for meeting planners," said Kevin Kowalski, senior vice president, worldwide brand management for Crowne Plaza. "The Passkey technology will allow all of our hotels in the U.S. and Canada to offer a solution that makes event planning and management even easier for meeting planners."
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
