InterContinental, the company that originated as a part of an airline in the 1940s, has now metamorphosed into one of the most famous hotel brands in the world. The company has recently launched a new strategy in face of the current global economic crisis and visitors to Spain can benefit from the fact that InterContinental has lowered the rates of their hotel in Madrid to attract more guests. The hotel is also now offering some new services such as a spa and gourmet restaurant, designed to enhance any stay in the capital of Spain.

The InterContinental hotel chain was born in 1946 when the owners of the airline Pan American Airways decided to open luxury hotels to accommodate their passengers in different parts of the world. The first hotel was opened in Brazil and they now have about 150 establishments in over 60 countries including Spain. In 1953 they opened a hotel in Madrid, which was the first hotel belonging to a foreign chain to be built in Spain. Over the years the hotel has been chosen by many Hollywood stars like Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra, Liz Taylor and Sophia Loren as a place of residence while they were filming on location in Spain.

The Intercontinental Madrid has 302 rooms and is located on Paseo de la Castellana, one of the main thoroughfares of Madrid and one of the most famous streets in all of Spain. According to the managing director, Christopher Laure, about 80% of their guests are foreigners, businessmen and women who usually stay from Monday to Friday. He explains that the aim of the hotel chain is to adapt themselves to the ambience of each individual city whilst catering for the needs of individual guests who choose to stay in the their flagship hotel in Spain. They not only want to offer their clients a good room but they also want them to acquire knowledge and experience of the city within the hotel.

Adapting to the visitors and the city also means adapting to the current financial situation in Spain. Thus, the hotel chain has reduced its rates and the InterContinental hotel in Madrid is pleased to provide its guests with the same quality product but at a more affordable cost. According to Mr Laure this strategy is starting to work and has increased the number of customers staying at the hotel in recent times.