InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace (Master Thread)
 

New InterContinental signed for Rome; this will be a rebranding of the existing Ambasciatori Palace Hotel on Via Veneto, which will convert to InterContinental Rome in 2022 following a complete renovation.

I also missed the February 28th signing of Six Senses Rome, which will open in late 2021 in the restored Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini at Piazza di San Marcello on Via del Corso. Nice to see IHG getting its Rome on, and in style to boot.

Press release for the IC below.

khabah

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IHG® to open InterContinental in Rome as the luxury hotel brand returns to Italy

04 June 2020

A multi-million-euro investment is behind IHG’s plans to open InterContinental Rome in 2022, marking a welcome sign of confidence in the Italian tourism industry at this challenging time.

The luxury hotel will be set on the iconic Via Veneto, in the Ludovisi area of the city, close to the Villa Borghese. The existing property - which includes 160 rooms and suites, a restaurant, bar, spa and public areas - will be restored to create a sense of discreet, modern luxury for visitors and locals alike.

Designed in the early 1900s by architect Carlo Busiri Vici in the neo-renaissance style, the palazzo building was originally home to ambassadors staying in Rome, opening as a hotel in 1993. Guests will benefit from its proximity to the city’s wealth of art and history, thanks to a prime position less than a kilometre walk from the Galleria Borghese, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. The hotel can be easily reached from Rome’s Ciampino or Fiumicino international airports and is less than 10 minutes from the city’s main rail station.

IHG joins a strong consortium including the US-based fund, Oaktree, Westmont Hospitality Group, strategic investment partner and operator, and UniCredit S.p.A, the project’s senior lending bank. The project is held by a newly established real estate investment fund managed by Milan-based Castello SGR, one of Italy’s premier real estate management companies.

Willemijn Geels, Vice President of Development, Europe, IHG, commented: “The signing of an InterContinental in Rome represents an important moment in the growth of our luxury portfolio and brand presence across Europe. In these challenging and unprecedented times, this signing shows the continued trust our Owners and partners place in IHG and our brands. We are delighted to partner with Oaktree Capital and Westmont Hospitality Group and look forward to offering InterContinental guests a rich and unforgettable experience in the Eternal City.”

Alfredo Maria De Falco, Deputy Head of CIB and Head of CIB Italy at UniCredit, commented: “Confirmation by primary international investors of their commitment to Italy even in this difficult time is a strong signal of the country's unimpaired attractiveness as a cultural, tourist and business destination. UniCredit is a strategic partner for the development of large real estate projects and we are happy to support this important initiative in a sector, such as the luxury hotel industry, which can be a driving force for the recovery of tourism in Italy.”

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the world’s largest luxury travel hotel brand. Each of its 213 hotels is a destination in its own right with a distinctive style and ambience, from historic buildings to city landmarks and immersive resorts in every corner of the globe. The InterContinental in Rome will join a family of 34 iconic InterContinental properties in Europe, including InterContinental London - Park Lane, InterContinental Paris – Le Grand and InterContinental Berlin, many of which are undergoing multi-million-euro refurbishment programmes.

This announcement comes weeks after the signing of the Six Senses Rome, which is set to open in late 2021. IHG currently has 44 luxury hotels in Europe, with another 17 luxury hotels in the pipeline to open in the next 3-5 years. In Italy IHG has a portfolio of 29 hotels – across brands including Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express - and further four in the pipeline.* These recent signings in Rome are the latest in a string of developments for IHG’s global luxury portfolio, including InterContinental Khao Yai Swan Lake Resort in Central Thailand, InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping Hotel and Regent Shanghai Pudong.

*As of 31 March 2020

Source: https://www.ihgplc.com/en/news-and-m...turns-to-italy

Wow that is great news! Hope they’ll meet or stay close to the projected opening dates.

I don't know why they insist on keep signing these IC's in Italy. IC Milan, never happened, and the same with the promised IC Venice. Just disappeared off the face of the earth. The fact that this property already exists *may* help though, in this instance.

An Intercontinental hotel in Milan (near the La Scala opera house) was listed as "coming soon" for almost 10 years on the old IHG (Priority club) website but never, ever, opened.

I have no confidence this "new" property in Rome will be any different.



This is Italy we are talking about.
The last time anything ever opened in Italy on time was before world war 2.

So what happened with the Rome 1960 Olympics? Did they start in 1961? :p

Got to say I find it so odd that there are no ICs in Italy especially when you have not 1 but 3 St Regis!

InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace Master Thread (est. opening spring 23)
 

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https://digital.ihg.com/is/image/ihg...m=1.75,0.9,2,0https://digital.ihg.com/is/image/ihg...m=1.75,0.9,2,0https://digital.ihg.com/is/image/ihg...m=1.75,0.9,2,0https://digital.ihg.com/is/image/ihg...m=1.75,0.9,2,0

76,000 to 84,000 points per night for entry level room

Bit on the steeper side, but will have to see what cash rates look like. I redeemed back in the day for the old IC Rome and it was good value, but that was many years ago before IHG played "how many points will we ask today" roulette.

To me the Indigo is a decent alternative depending on points / cash rates asked. YMMV.

I was looking at this recently it looks very nice but I suspect that rates will be starting in the 300+ per night region so doesn’t seem surprising that point rates are high .
Hate to think how many points Cannes will want when it reopens lol

Looks like you can book in Jan 2022. Rates seem to be 400 Euro and up for a tiny (24 sqm) room. Seems to be a bit on the high side for mid January compared to other 5star places.

Seems January 2022 is out the window. App now says coming soon with no specified date. Any projections in an opening date? Too optimistic to hope the hotel will open in time for Summer travel?

App says no reservation available before 1st June 2022

Looks like the date has been pushed back yet again, to October 2022. At this point, it seems unlikely, that it will open at all in 2022.

Hope that it will not happen the same story than in Venice, where InterContinental hotel finally turned to be a …Radisson Collection