The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has unveiled two new signings in Asia-Pacific, an underground hotel project on the site of a former quarry in Shanghai and the other with a waterfront location in Auckland.
Scheduled for opening in 4Q2018 is the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, an 18-storey hotel with two floors above ground, and 16 below ground, including two floors underwater.
The Shimao Group development will reach 88m underground in a deep pit of a former southwestern Shanghai quarry, standing out in the current architectural landscape dominated by high-rise buildings, IHG said in a statement.
With a construction area of more than 61,000m2, the hotel features 336 rooms and suites that all boast balconies looking out to waterfalls from the surrounding cliffs.
Meanwhile in New Zealand, the group has partnered Precinct Properties to open the InterContinental Auckland, the brand’s second signing in the country after the InterContinental Wellington.
Set to become the brand’s flagship in the country, InterContinental Auckland will feature 244 guestrooms, 90 per cent of which will offer water views, several F&B options, a gym, and meeting facilities.
The hotel will form part of the Commercial Bay mixed-use development on the city’s waterfront at 1 Queen Street, which also features shopping and dining outlets, as well as a 39-level office tower.
The hotel is within easy reach from the New Zealand International Convention Centre, Viaduct Harbour, Britomart precinct, Wynyard Quarter, Vector Arena, the international cruise ship terminal, Sky City and Sky City Casino. Auckland Airport is 20km away.
