IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) salutes Pyeongchang, Korea, for being voted the Host City of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Says Mr Clarence Tan, COO, Japan and Korea, IHG, “Pyeongchang’s triumph is great news. This will be Korea’s first Winter Olympics after hosting the memorable 1988 Olympic Games. Korea has a great track record for hosting major international sporting events and this will be another big milestone for the nation which also hosted the successful FIFA World Cup in 2002. InterContinental Alpensia Pyeongchang Resort, Holiday Inn Resorts Alpensia Pyeongchang and Holiday Inn & Suites Alpensia Pyeongchang are proud to be part of the close-knit Pyeongchang community and look forward to continuing on this Olympic journey together.”

The three brand-defining hotels have a total of 871 rooms and are located in the purpose-built, alpine-style village of Alpensia, in the pristine Taebaek Mountain region of Pyeongchang county. The resort village offers world-class facilities that include a ski jump tower, a cross-country course, golf courses, a conference centre, shops and a Water Park developed by GDC (Gangwon-do Development Corporation). Alpensia is just two hours from Seoul and it is well served by public transport.

Additional infrastructure has been planned to further support the host city and this includes a high speed railway that will halve the travelling time from Seoul to Pyeongchang, making Alpensia and our hotels even more accessible. As Korea’s premier resort destination, Alpensia will provide a fitting backdrop for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Adds Mr Tan, “When the International Olympic Committee made its announcement on 6 July, the whole community and our teams in Korea and around the world celebrated. Our involvement in the project has also brought us closer to the leaders and stakeholders of Pyeongchang and GDC. Being part of the Winter Olympic Games will further strengthen our partnerships as we work together to ensure the success of the 2018 Olympics.

“At the same, all eyes are also on the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, for which Holiday Inn is the Official Hotel Provider. We will support our colleagues in Europe in every way we can and I am sure that there will be much that we can learn from the London experience.”