InterContinental, Pudong, Shanghai : re-positioning to address a new challenge

Abstract

31 January 1999 marked a milestone for Inter-Continental, Pudong, Shanghai; the hotel was officially awarded five-star status by the National Tourism Administration of China in Beijing, putting the hotel in the same league as the selected few in Shanghai. Since Intercontinental Hotel's Group took over the management of the hotel, originally called Hotel New Asia Tomson, many exciting changes had taken place in the metropolis and the hotel industry, particularly in the high-end sectors of the business.

Shanghai had emerged as a new business and convention hub of Asia. More four-and five-star hotels, most of them belonging to the international chains, were entering the scene to cash in on the ‘Shanghai Fever’.

With a new image and marketing orientation, the marketing team of the hotel faced the challenge of re-positioning the hotel to take advantage its new ownership, management contract and the fast-changing business environment. Period covered 2000 – 2003