IHG opens 685-room Crowne Plaza NYC

Crowne Plaza by IHG opened the Crowne Plaza Manhattan Times Square on September 2, giving the brand a new Americas flagship in one of New York’s highest-visibility hotel corridors. The 685-room property sits at 790 Seventh Avenue, steps from Times Square, Rockefeller Center and the Broadway theater district, according to IHG’s release and hotel site. The opening matters because Crowne Plaza is using a large Manhattan address to show what the brand now wants to look like in urban business travel. IHG said the hotel is meant to reflect its “bold vision for the future of blended travel,” tying guest rooms, social workspace and small-group meeting space into one Midtown property. (ihgplc.com) ### Why did IHG put a Crowne Plaza flagship in Times Square? IHG said on September 2 that the Manhattan hotel is its new flagship for the Americas, giving the company a high-profile base for the Crowne Plaza brand in New York. The property is positioned on Seventh Avenue in Midtown, near Broadway, Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park. (ihgplc.com) Times Square gives hotel groups constant visibility with corporate travelers, tour groups and international visitors. IHG’s own hotel pages frame the site around access, walkability and mixed business-leisure use, with the company highlighting proximity to attractions as well as meeting and work areas inside the building. ### What exactly opened inside the hotel? (ihgplc.com) The property has 685 rooms, while IHG’s transformation page describes “680 brand new guest rooms” including seven suites, suggesting the broader room count includes a mix of room categories after the conversion. The hotel also lists renovated rooms, a redesigned 18th-floor Manhattan Level, a new fitness center and floor-to-ceiling lobby windows. (ihg.com) Fifty-First Street Social is the hotel’s street-access restaurant and bar, serving American fare, according to the property site. IHG also says the lobby includes its Plaza Workspace concept and a meeting room called The Studio, aimed at casual work sessions and small gatherings. ### Who owns and manages the building? Hotel trade publications said the 22-story hotel was developed by Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company, also known as ARTIC, and is managed by Highgate. (ihgplc.com) Those reports said the building is a New York landmark originally constructed for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Highgate’s role is notable because major branded hotels in New York are often run under management agreements rather than owned directly by the brand company. (ihg.com) IHG’s release focused on the brand launch and positioning, while trade reports supplied the ownership and management structure. (hotelnewsresource.com) ### How does this fit Crowne Plaza’s brand strategy? Crowne Plaza’s own brand materials say it is targeting business meetings, corporate events and what it calls blended travel. The company describes a meetings-and-events concierge program, flexible venues and spaces designed to move between work and leisure. The Manhattan property mirrors that pitch. IHG’s transformation page says the guest rooms were designed around work, relaxation and sleep, while The Studio and the Plaza Workspace are meant to support small meetings and informal collaboration. (ihgplc.com) ### Why are analysts still focused on big hotel brands? UBS upgraded InterContinental Hotels Group to “buy” on September 2 and raised its price target to $188, saying the shares traded at a discount to some peers despite what the broker called strong long-term characteristics. (ihg.com) That kind of analyst note points to the value investors still place on scale, distribution and brand systems in global lodging. (ihg.com) IHG’s investor page says the company’s strategy is to deliver growth through scale, enterprise platform and performance. A flagship opening in Times Square gives the company a visible asset to support that broader platform, even though the hotel itself is operated through partners. September 2 is the formal opening date cited by IHG, and the hotel’s live booking pages now list the Crowne Plaza Manhattan Times Square name, amenities and Midtown address. (marketbeat.com) IHG’s release, the hotel detail page and the events pages are the next places to watch for further updates on meetings programming, room inventory and brand rollout details. (ihgplc.com 1) (ihgplc.com 2)