I NTERCONTINENTA L ® H O TE L S & RES ORTS B RAN D O RI E N TATIO N M AN U AL INTERCONTINENTA L ® H O T E L S & R E S O RT S B RA ND ORIE NTAT I O N M A NUA L IHG® F RONTL I NE M A NUA L D I S C LA I M ER The IHG Frontline learning platform, and the information contained in this manual, have been developed as instructional resources for owners of franchise hotels. The training, information and processes contained herein, are intended to serve as general advice and resources about selected topics, with the expectation that owners and operators will use and adapt elements that they believe are appropriate for the particular hotel that they are responsible for operating and for their particular business circumstances. The IHG Frontline training is not designed to provide complete, specific information and instructions on all topics. No licensee is required to abide by any other terms of the IHG Frontline training or accompanying resources. No company in IHG, nor any employee thereof, has any involvement in employee-related decisions at franchise hotels. CONTENTS 2. BRAND ORIENTATION PG 4–6 2.1 INTRODUCTION PG 7–8 2.2 THE INTERCONTINENTAL® BRAND PROMISE PG 9–10 2.3 THE GUEST PG 11–14 2.4 THE GUEST EXPERIENCE PG 15–16 2.5 CONCLUSION 2. BR A ND O R I E NTAT I O N 2.1 IN T R OD U C T IO N 2.1 INTRODUCTION BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 5 2.1 I NTR O D U C T I O N Welcome to the InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts Brand Orientation course. This manual will guide you through the course from beginning to end. Be sure to watch the corresponding video lessons, complete the theory assessments, and complete the relevant activities in your workbook. Keep your workbook close by as you progress through the video lessons, to write down important points and answer questions. From the very start, 70 years ago, we have offered our guests the InterContinental Life. A glamorous way of life that makes international travel more attractive, and creates an atmosphere where great things happen, for our guests, our hotels, and our teams. This course will help you see your part in this story. By the end, you will have a better understanding of the InterContinental brand, so you can help write the next chapter in the story of glamorous travel that we’ve been sharing for over 70 years. Today, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has over 180 hotels and resorts in more than 65 countries – we are the world’s largest luxury hotel brand. And with more properties in development than any of our competitors, we continue to increase our presence in fabulous destinations all over the world. © Copyright Lobster International S.A. 2016. All rights reserved. 2.1 INTRODUCTION BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 6 WHERE DID IT ALL BEGIN? For 70 years, the InterContinental® brand has been writing the story of international travel. 1 1946: 2 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 1975: 5 1990s: 6 2008: 7 2015: Juan Trippe, founder of Pan American Airways, founded the InterContinental Hotels Corporation. Since then, millions of affluent travellers from all over the world, including heads of government, royalty and celebrities have stayed in our hotels. Alfred Hitchcock shot his film, To Catch a Thief, at the InterContinental Carlton Cannes with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. Here, Grace Kelly also met her future husband, His Serene Highness Prince Rainier lll of Monaco. The brand pioneered new destinations – from Hong Kong, and India to Australia. We also moved to one of the most exotic capitals in the Near East, with the opening of the Phoenicia InterContinental in Beirut. InterContinental London Park Lane opened its doors, built on the site that was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth II. The historic Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco became the first InterContinental hotel to launch in the United States. The InterContinental New York Barclay hosted heads of state for the United Nations 50th Anniversary summit. In China, two new InterContinental hotels opened to mark the Beijing Olympic Games. Pop superstars, One Direction, filmed the video for their song, Perfect, at the InterContinental New York Times Square. OV ER TO YOU We’re the ones who continue the story. We make great things happen. Complete the activities for 2.1 Introduction in your workbook. © Copyright Lobster International S.A. 2016. All rights reserved. 2.2 TH E I N T E R CONTINENTAL® B R A N D P R O MISE 2.2 THE INTERCONTINENTAL® BRAND PROMISE BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 8 How have we continued to make great things happen over all these years? The secret to our success lies in our brand promise. DEFINITION WHAT IS A BRAND PROMISE? A brand promise is what we commit to our guests. It is what they expect from us. It’s not a description of what we do, but a description of our character. It’s what makes us different, and what our guests know us by. The InterContinental® brand promise is easy to remember: We promise the InterContinental Life. OV ER TO YOU Each day, you create the InterContinental Life by understanding your guests. DEFINITION WHAT IS THE INTERCONTINENTAL LIFE? It’s the alluring lifestyle we offer to every guest who stays with us. It’s about the experience of seven decades in the spotlight, and having hotels and resorts all over the world. Most importantly, it’s about every single hotel and resort providing a doorway to the InterContinental Life, through the luxurious experiences and personalised services you provide. Every action we take helps deliver on this promise. From the first time we greet a guest, through cleaning their room, and serving them a drink at the bar, to wishing them a warm farewell, every moment of their stay is an opportunity for us to provide them with the InterContinental Life. By continually delivering on our brand promise, we have become a symbol of glamour, sophistication and success. ‘GLOBAL ETIQUETTE’ – THE SERVICE PHILOSOPHY OF INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS & RESORTS: Our guests want and need to travel the world in luxury. We combine our understanding of cultures and customs from around the world, with our local knowledge to give our guests the best of both worlds. We always deliver every service moment with sophistication and elegance. When we deliver attentive, personalised service to our guests that shows them local custom, and reassures them when they’re away from home, we are offering them the InterContinental Life. Complete the activities for 2.2 The InterContinental Brand Promise in your workbook. © Copyright Lobster International S.A. 2016. All rights reserved. 2.3 THE G U E S T BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 10 2.3 THE GUEST Without our guests we cannot deliver the InterContinental Life or continue to make great things happen. Our promise and our service philosophy come from our guests. WHO IS THE INTERCONTINENTAL® HOTELS & RESORTS TARGET GUEST? • They are affluent and experienced travellers. • They travel frequently, and are accustomed to luxury surroundings. • They love to explore new places, learn about new cultures and meet new people. • They are naturally confident and curious. • They appreciate the finer things in life, but want the feeling of warmth and personality during their stay. WHAT BRINGS OUR TARGET GUEST TO INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS & OUR GUESTS WANT: 1. A warm welcome and farewell: ‘You can walk into a beautifully designed hotel, but that is completely destroyed if you go to reception and don't get good service.’ 2. To feel reassured when they’re away from home, but also experience different cultures: ‘I need to feel that you recognise and value my own culture, but I also want to be enriched by a truly local experience.’ 3. To eat local foods, but not feel too far from home: ‘On the first day I want to discover the local food but by the second night I am craving a familiar dish.’ RESORTS? Our typical guest travels either for business or pleasure, and sometimes combines the two. When they travel for business, they also want to explore new places. This might mean extending their stay for the weekend to explore the city and relax, or simply find a few hours to go to the theatre, spend time in the spa or visit a cultural site. When our guests travel for leisure, it is often with their partner or family. This means we can tailor their stay to their needs so they can spend quality time together and create special memories with each other. We have spoken to many of our guests to understand what they expect from us, so we can deliver on our brand promise. 4. To feel special: ‘Sometimes, depending on the occasion, I want to feel extra special. We are happy to pay more for that extra level of attentive service.’ Our guests are asking for a personalised service, that takes into account their culture and local customs, so that they can experience new things, while also feeling comfortable and at home. This is the InterContinental Life. Complete the activities for 2.3 The Guest in your workbook. © Copyright Lobster International S.A. 2016. All rights reserved. 2.4 THE G U E S T E XPE RIE N CE 2.4 THE GUEST EXPERIENCE BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 12 Our aim to provide attentive, personalised service is summed up in our service philosophy – Global Etiquette. EVERY SINGLE COLLEAGUE NEEDS TO REMEMBER THE FOUR POINTS OF GLOBAL ETIQUETTE, TO CREATE EXPERIENCES OUR GUESTS DESIRE: 1. Respect guests’ culture and customs 3. It’s important that every guest feels completely welcome. Our hotels must feel This provides a sense of place through our service style, and adds to the allure of international travel. like home. 2. Offer international and local knowledge By providing knowledge about the destination, local delicacies, or our world-class services, we can delight our guests. Acknowledge with a local or personal ‘greeting’ 4. Always show the way We take care of our guests by providing an attentive and personal service. © Copyright Lobster International S.A. 2016. All rights reserved. 2.4 THE GUEST EXPERIENCE SATISFY THESE EXPECTATIONS BY DELIVERING GLOBAL ETIQUETTE DURING FOUR KEY MOMENTS OF YOUR GUESTS’ STAY: 1. The Welcome From listening to our guests, we know how important their first impression of an InterContinental hotel or resort is. We need to make sure their InterContinental guest journey or story starts well. The warm, and memorable welcome begins with our charismatic doorman, who greets our guests appropriately. BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 13 2. The Worldly Classics Food and Beverage Offering A huge part of delivering an experience that matches our guests’ expectations is providing the finest food and beverage offering. Our restaurants and bars are vibrant social destinations for both guests and informed locals, and home to some of the world’s finest chefs and sommeliers. TO P T I P You can introduce the InterContinental Life by sharing knowledge and telling stories about the special drinks and dishes we serve, so our guests know they are enjoying the very best the world has to offer. R EME M B E R Whenever possible, greet your guests by name. Our guests want to experience their destination fully, so we always offer a sense of place in our service style by greeting them using the local language. Our food and beverage offering is also about recognising and adapting to our guests’ culture and customs. We offer the best exotic local cuisines, or comforting food from home, and make sure that both are part of creating a rich dining experience. OV ER TO YOU How do you greet your guests? © Copyright Lobster International S.A. 2016. All rights reserved. 2.4 THE GUEST EXPERIENCE BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 14 3. Club InterContinental® Our guests have told us that true luxury means personal, unique service. With Club InterContinental, we provide a tailored experience to our most valuable guests. By contacting them ahead of their arrival to discuss their preferences, and offering a private in-room check-in, we make sure their stay is suited to their needs. Club InterContinental guests also have access to the Club Lounge, an exclusive area where guests can work or relax during the day – and in the evening, it becomes a place to socialise and enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail. TOP TIP You can help deliver on the brand’s promise by making sure you always look for ways to upgrade the service for our VIP guests. 4. The Farewell While the welcome creates a good first impression, our farewell makes sure that impression lasts. REMEMBER A good farewell helps create an emotional connection with our guests that ensures they choose to stay with us again. We understand our guests’ travel plans, offer assistance with luggage and provide appropriate taxi, traffic or airport information. We also record all information we exchange with each guest. This helps us to improve and personalise their next visit. Most importantly, we say a sincere and genuine goodbye. After all, it’s not just a departure; it’s farewell – until next time. OV ER TO YOU Whether you work behind a bar, at the front desk, or in housekeeping, there will always be times when you can help deliver on these moments of truth – and ensure that every one of our guests experiences the InterContinental Life. Complete the activities for 2.4 The Guest Experience in your workbook. © Copyright Lobster International S.A. 2016. All rights reserved. 2.5 C O NC LU SION 2.5 CONCLUSION BRAND ORIENTATION MANUAL | 16 O U R GO A L : To ensure we continue the story of making great things happen at our hotels and resorts. R EM E M B E R No matter who our guests may be, we must strive to make every single one of them feel appreciated, recognised and important. Thank you for all the stories you are going to help create. Thank you for helping make great things happen. The InterContinental®’s brand promise cannot be delivered without you. We need every colleague to find ways to deliver the InterContinental Life. Sometimes, that means making sure we return something they may have forgotten in the hotel, knocking on their door with a cup of coffee because they were worried about oversleeping through an important meeting, or providing a surprise gift for their child’s birthday. Our job is to create memories for our guests that they can share with their friends and family when they get home. We create these memories by remembering our brand promise, our guests’ expectations and how we can deliver on these every single day. OV ER TO YOU As you go out to perform your duties as an InterContinental colleague, look around your hotel, and ask yourself: what can I do differently? What special moments can I create for my guests today? Complete the activities for 2.5 Conclusion in your workbook. © Copyright Lobster International S.A. 2016. All rights reserved.
