InterContinental Hotels & Resorts: serving today's global business traveler. (Special Advertising Feature).

For more than 50 years, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has been serving the needs of business and leisure travelers in Latin America and around the world. Today, the prestigious global chain has enhanced its offerings by building new hotels, upgrading many older properties, and setting even higher standards for service.

In the past two years, Six Continents Hotels, owners of the InterContinental brand, has invested more than US$1 billion to renovate and remodel its global portfolio of InterContinental Hotels, while continuing to open new properties. Following its own recent survey of more than 1,000 international business travelers from 25 countries, InterContinental is rolling out extensive new guest services and amenities designed for the 21st century traveler.

"Our customers take their work and leisure time equally seriously," says Alvaro Diago, Latin America President of Six Continents Hotels.

"Four out of 10 of the global business leaders surveyed said their travel service standards have increased in the past five years. Two-thirds also said that in the last year, they've increased their use of communications technology while they travel, InterContinental is changing along with them, and we've invested millions in new hotels, in upgrading hotels and in a raft of service initiatives to respect their requirements, from faster check-in to new technology," he adds.

For travelers to Latin America, the new service initiatives provide greater convenience, and strengthen InterContinental's position as the premier upscale hotel brand. "We recognize that travelers may be coming from a different time zone or need to communicate with their home office at any time of the day or night," adds Diago. . "In addition, we have trained our employees to implement our new programs to give travelers the maximum benefit from our services."

Global Connections[TM]

"Answering the need to stay in touch"

* WorldLink[TM] -- A power and phone jack adapter in every room, allowing the guest to travel without carrying unnecessary cables and adapters. This ensures easy connectivity with appliances such as laptop computers and digital cameras from the guest's home country.

* WorldPrint -- Guests can request delivery of a fax machine and printer to their room for private use.

* WorldNews -- Guests staying at an InterContinental hotel will have access to their preferred local newspaper, wherever they may be traveling.

* WorldChannels -- Guests can watch TV programming from their native country and in their own language.

Little Things That Make A Difference[TM]

* Instant Money -- For the international traveler, a pack of local currency worth about US$25 in small denominations is available at the front desk and can be charged direct to the guest's folio for an easier account of expenses. Also included is a guide on local tipping and customs.

* Instant Refresher--A complimentary 15-minute head and neck massage offered to guests to help relieve the stresses of a long flight or a busy working day.

* Jet Lag Recovery Kit--A pack of special aromatherapy products and helpful hints and tips offered to the international guest, helping them to adjust to local time zone changes.

* Insider Concierge--A distinctive concierge service offering exceptional levels of attention to every guest's needs.

* Insider's Guide to the City--A guidebook offering the "inside track" to the city, with the best local restaurants, sights and city experiences that most guides do not cover, in order to provide guests with the type of local experience they desire.

* Insider Shopping Pro--A personalized service with a local specialist who, at the guest's convenience, will arrange the purchase of appropriate business or personal gifts.

In An Instant[TM]

"Where there is an instant need for service"

* Instant Check-In [TM] --

Six Continents Club and Priority Club Rewards members can take advantage of a smooth, easy check-in process that removes unnecessary steps that rob guests' precious time.

* Instant Check-Out[TM --

Six Continents Club and Priority Club Rewards members can check out of the hotel and leave without having to wait in line at reception to pay. Instant Check-Out is a service already widely embraced by most hotels in the United States, but only now being rolled out internationally.

* Instant Service Button--This is the 21st century version of a butler. One telephone button in the room serves as a single point of contact for all inquiries, excluding room service orders.

Around The Clock[TM]

"Services when you need them"

* Business center available 24 hours a day.

* Gym/health club available 24 hours a day.

* Valet available 24 hours a day.

Central Reservations System

* InterContinental guests also benefit from a new advanced central reservations system, HolidexPlus, which allows hotels to mix and match room rates and types for more personalized service and greater flexibility.

A PROUD HISTORY IN LATIN AMERICA

InterContinental was born in Latin America, when Pan American World Airlines opened the Hotel Grande in Belem, Brazil, in 1946. Belem was the closest location to Africa for PanAm's round-the-world flights, and the new InterContinental provided businessmen with clean and comfortable accommodations.

The company soon expanded along the airline's routes into Latin America and throughout the world, and two of the company's earliest properties -- the Tamanaco InterContinental, in Caracas, Venezuela, and the Hotel Tequendama InterContinental Bogota, Colombia--are celebrating 50-plus years as InterContinental Hotels.

Through the years, InterContinental developed an outstanding reputation for meeting the unique needs of the international business and leisure traveler, mastering the delicate balance between global service standards and local flair.

In the Americas, InterContinental re-entered the Mexican market in 1994 with the signing of a joint venture with Presidente Hotels, which included properties in Cancun, Cozumel, Mexico City, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa. Three years later, a joint venture with Grupo Real immediately made InterContinental the dominant hotel company in Central America. Since 1998, InterContinental has been part of Six Continents PLC (formerly Bass PLC), a London-based global hotel company.

Today, InterContinental has 147 hotels worldwide, including 20 hotels in major business centers throughout South and Central America. A truly multinational brand, InterContinental has more than 30 different nationalities represented within its corporate structure.

InterContinental plans to significantly expand its North American portfolio of properties, including the newly opened InterContinental Houston and InterContinental Boston, now under construction. "The United States generates more than half of our customers, and we want to create a larger critical mass in this market," continues Latin America Area President Alvaro Diago. "We are a dominant brand in Latin America, and we want to become the same in North America."

Throughout Latin America, InterContinental's historic landmark properties and striking contemporary hotels and resorts reflect the vibrant cultures they represent, says Jorge Mejia, vice president of sales and marketing for Six Continents Hotels Latin America. "Our brand is very well-known and received, and our customers are extremely loyal," he says. "With our high standards and new guest services, we want to push the InterContinental brand to a new level."

For instance, the success of the InterContinental Santiago in Chile led to a recent 200-room expansion, while the InterContinental Buenos Aires, built in the late 1990s, has won Argentina's national quality award for its physical facilities, management and personal service to guests.

One of the advantages Six Continents Hotels provides is synergy between its brands--including Priority Club Rewards, which rewards travelers who stay at any Six Continents Hotels property. "We want our guests to be recognized when they are staying at any of our properties by presenting their Priority Club card," says Mejia. "That's a great advantage for the frequent business traveler."

Diago adds that InterContinental continues to take an optimistic look at Latin America's prospects. "We have been in the region for 57 years, and we recognize that economic cycles come and go," he says. "Our key performance indicators are already pointing upward, and we believe that this is a time of tremendous opportunity to invest in the future."

RELATED ARTICLE: NEW 'OPTIONS' FOR TRAVELERS

Business and leisure travelers visiting any InterContinental in Central and South America will be pampered with room upgrades, complimentary offers or special discounts as part of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts' relaunched Options program, available now through May 31, 2003.

Travelers staying at participating properties throughout Latin America, as well as more than 100 participating InterContinental Hotels & Resorts properties worldwide, will now be able to choose from one of three value-added Options to further improve the quality of their stay. InterContinental Business Options for business travelers include:

* Upgrade--a room upgrade to a Junior Suite, Club Intercontinental Floor or Business Room.

* Relaxation--a complimentary movie from any of the pay channels available, as well as complimentary items from the mini-bar (to equivalent value of pay movie) for every night of their stay.

* Leisure Voucher--a leisure voucher for one complimentary night at any InterContinental hotel or resort for stays of at least two nights over a weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday).

Leisure travelers can treat themselves to weekend options, including:

* Celebration--complimentary room upgrade to Junior Suite or Club InterContinental floor with wine and chocolates in-room.

* Indulgence--20% discount on all food and beverage bought within hotel premises for every night of the stay.

* Family--or 50% off a second room for children (under 19) for every night of the stay.

The new Options program benefits were developed following research conducted with guests and front desk personnel to establish what guests were looking for when choosing a hotel or resort.

"Intercontinental has always been particularly aware of the special needs of travelers to Latin America, and these benefits provide flexibility, choice and added value," says Jorge Mejia, vice president of sales and marketing for Six Continents Hotels Latin America. "By offering our guests a wide-ranging choice that accommodates their needs, we are ensuring that InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will remain the preferred choice of Latin America's business."

Intercontinental Business Options and Intercontinental Weekend Options are offered subject to availability.

For more information or to make a booking, call your travel professional or visit www.intercontinental.com/businessoptions or www.intercontinental.com/ weekend-options.

SPANISH WEB SITE SERVES LATIN AMERICAN TRAVELERS

www.southamerica.sixcontinentshotels.com

www.brazil.sixcontinentshotel.com

www.centralamerica.sixcontinentshotels.com

Six Continents Hotels recently launched www.southamerica.sixcontinentshotels.com, a web site with extensive information and reservations capabilities for Six Continents Hotels in Argentina. Chile, Colombia. Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The site represents yet another major investment by Six Continents Hotels to provide Spanish-language information to guests, as well as individuals seeking information on Six Continents Hotels in South America. The site provides a full description of the individual Six Continents Hotels properties in each of the countries.

ABOUT SIX CONTINENTS[TM] HOTELS

Six Continents Hotels, the hotel business of Six Continents PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:SXC, NYSE:SXC (ADRs)], owns, manages, leases or franchises more than 3,270 hotels and 512,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world www.sixcontinentshotels.com).

InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, the prestigious global hotel chain, has been the preferred choice of the world's business and leisure traveler since 1946. From the many historic landmark hotels that are as much a part of a city's present as its glorious past - to the striking contemporary hotels, that reflect the vibrant cultures they represent - to superb resorts that are bath a tribute and an attribute to the natural beauty surrounding them - InterContinental offers exceptional comfort, convenience and service in 122 cities and over 135 locations throughout the world (www.intercontinental.com). For the latest news from Six Continents Hotels, visit our online Press Office at http://www.pressoffice.sixcontinentshotels.com/.