InterContinental Geneva

InterContinental Geneva is a luxury hotel operated by InterContinental in Geneva, Switzerland.

Established in 1964, unlike most high-end hotels in Geneva, the InterContinental isn't located on Lake Geneva but is situated about 1 mile (1.6 km)[1] to the west, near the United Nations headquarters. The hotel has 333 guest rooms, 56 suites, 16 meeting rooms, and 2 restaurants, it is also known to be the favorite place of the worst African dictators.[2]

Over the years the hotel has hosted an elite clientele, including 400 heads of state, nearly 4,000 government ministers, many ambassadors, political figures, performing artists, and sports personalities.[3] Guests have included Kofi Annan, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Dennis Ross, Sophia Loren, and Roger Federer.[1][4] On 9 May 1977, President Hafez al-Assad of Syria met with US President Jimmy Carter at the hotel to discuss the Arab–Israeli conflict and deadlocked Israeli-Syrian peace talk.[4][5] In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan held a summit meeting at the hotel.[6] World leaders like Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Hosni Mubarak, and George H. W. Bush have also stayed at the hotel.[6] It has also hosted many international conferences, including the IEEE International Conference on Communications in 1993.[7]

Location

The luxury hotel is located in Petit Saconnex, a residential area in the northwestern part of the city, and has views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva. The Botanic Garden, United Nations (European Headquarters[1]) and International Centre of Congress (CICG) are a three-minute walk from the hotel. The Palexpo Exhibition Centre and shopping mall are a five-minute drive away.[2][8]

History
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the InterContinental Geneva in 2011.

Over the years the hotel has hosted an elite clientele, including 400 heads of state, nearly 4,000 government ministers, many ambassadors, political figures, performing artists, and sports personalities.[9] Guests have included Kofi Annan, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Dennis Ross, Sophia Loren, and Roger Federer.[1][4] On 9 May 1977, President Hafez al-Assad of Syria met with US President Jimmy Carter at the hotel to discuss the Arab–Israeli conflict and deadlocked Israeli-Syrian peace talk.[4][5] In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan held a summit meeting at the hotel.[6] World leaders like Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Hosni Mubarak, and George H. W. Bush have also stayed at the hotel.[6] It has also hosted many international conferences, including the IEEE International Conference on Communications in 1993.[7]

The hotel, which was built in 1964,[6] underwent a renovation which was completed in 2005 at a cost of €22 million.[10] The renovations, designed by Tony Chi, have modernized the guest rooms and the foyer.[1]

Features

The 5-star luxury hotel is 18 stories high and has 333 guest rooms (233 single bed rooms and 94 double bed rooms), 56 suites, 16 meeting rooms and two restaurants (the pool side restaurant is heated during summer), apart from a Swiss wine lounge and a Spa.[2][8]

The architecture and design of the hotel is a fusion of historical and classic modernism styles.[1] The entrance façade has been redone, and the foyer of the hotel is now very large. The façade has a canopy with columns made of limestone. The doors are made of brass and large bamboo plants at the entrance give it a feeling of being even more spacious. The original reception area, which incorporated a shopping mall, was replaced with a Great Hall with "monumental columns and grand staircases."[1] The Woods Restaurant, located near the entrance, has a custom-made table fashioned from tree trunks and the cabinets are also made of wood. In the Bar des Nations, the fireplace is double storied and made of limestone. The guest rooms are of contemporary design, and with subtle lighting, they provide views of Lake Geneva and the Alps.[11]

References
  1. Yee 2008, p. 206.
  2. "Stately, Elegant Geneva Hotel With A Prestigious Address". Official website of Intercontinental Hotel. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  3. "InterContinental Geneve Press Document Summary" (PDF). imex-frankfurt.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  4. Blanford 2006, p. 71.
  5. Seale 1990, p. 295.
  6. Clarke, Pfannhauser & Doel 2009, p. 160.
  7. ICC '93 Geneva: IEEE International Conference on Communications '93, May 23–26, 1993, Geneva, Switzerland : technical program, conference record. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 1993. p. 1256. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  8. "Concierge Guide". Official website of Intercontinental Hotel. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  9. "InterContinental Geneve Press Document Summary" (PDF). imex-frankfurt.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  10. "Hotel Intercontinental Geneva". Travel Business Consulting Group. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  11. Yee 2008, pp. 206-8.
Bibliography
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