At a time when hotel brands such as Hilton and Sheraton were still looking beyond the United States, Pan American World Airways entrepreneur and founder Juan Tripe founded the InterContinental Hotel brand. This happened at the request of then US President Franklin Roosevelt. According to people familiar with the matter, Roosevelt wanted to strengthen and increase business with Latin American countries after the war, for which he needed accommodation, CNN reports.
On April 4, 1946, Pan American World Airways founded its international hotel chain. The first opening was in 1949 in Belen, Brazil, after which the InterContinental brand expanded worldwide.
Tripe wants to reassure its airline crew and airline passengers that a luxury hotel awaits them wherever they go, especially as Pan Am presents new destinations on its global schedule.
The creator of the brand has no plan for the interior of the InterContinental Hotel. He wants the layout of the rooms and other rooms to be in line with the environment where the building will be located. Then came interior designer Neil Prince, who is not at all a fan of standard hotel interiors. His work lays the foundations for what will make InterContinental stand out.
The hotel’s interior combines elements of local culture with American luxury. Prince is said to have drawn on his theatrical experience to make hotel rooms look spectacular without spending millions. Mirrors and carefully selected colors are common ways to create space and depth.
As photos of the rooms have been circulated in magazines and travel brochures, Pan Am’s passengers have increased, as has the hotel’s popularity.
Pan Am stopped flying about 30 years ago, but the InterContinental brand still lives on – although it’s hard to see Neil Prince’s design in hotels today.
Today, InterContinental says they are focused on the future. Vice President Tom Rowntree says the brand continues to strive to find new destinations and new markets, as it did in the 20th century.
– .
