InterContinental Hotels Group: leading the way through gastronomy.

At lunchtime, Brazilian business executives head for Tarsila Restaurant in the InterContinental Sao Paulo, where acclaimed French chef David Gobert offers a constantly changing Mediterranean-oriented menu. For hotel guests and visitors--as well as for banquets, social events and other catering occasions --Gobert draws upon his wide-ranging culinary experience to create savory dishes that incorporate Brazilian foods and flavors.

"Sao Paulo is a very international city with a wide range of options for gastronomy," says Michel Chertouh, general manager of the InterContinental Sao Paulo. "Tarsila and our other high-end food and beverage operations give us a competitive edge in serving our hotel guests and the entire community."

For instance, Chef Gobert recently led a cooking team that catered to VIP guests at the Grand Prix of Sao Paulo, and will be serving distinguished guests at the city's Carnaval festivities in February. In addition to its Continental cuisine, the InterContinental Sao Paulo offers Japanese dishes, reflecting the city's demographic diversity. Adds Chertouh, "We are delighted to accommodate the varied dining requests of our guests, whatever they may be."

For InterContinental Hotels Group Americas, which operates the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites brands in Latin America and the Caribbean, providing a memorable dining experience is one of the best ways to please business and leisure travelers.

"We focus on excellence in all aspects of our food and beverage operations, and we hire experienced chefs who utilize the finest and freshest local ingredients," says Jean Pierre Etcheberrigaray, vice president, Food & Beverage, InterContinental Hotels Group Americas. For example, an IHG chef might serve caviar on slices of plantain rather than bread or crackers, or prepare a delicate seafood stuffing for an empanada pastry.

IHG hotel restaurants typically include a selection of internationally recognized dishes popular with business travelers. "We first want our guests to feel comfortable in an unfamiliar surrounding," says Etcheberrigaray. "A familiar meal plays an important role in that process. We also want to provide them with local specialties to explore when they feel more adventurous. Finally, we also take pride in accommodating our guests with specific ethnic or religious dietary requirements."

In many mid-size cities, IHG's properties are leaders in providing a sophisticated dining experience to guests of all backgrounds. For example, the Holiday Inn Cordoba in Argentina has won the city's first prize for gastronomy three years in a row, and recently hosted a Peruvian arts and foods festival. "In this way, our properties help to integrate the cultures of Latin America," says Carlos Baruki, area director of sales and marketing, IHG Latin America.

Along with hiring top chefs and using quality food products, IHG provides continual training to its food and beverage teams and utilizes the best practices of top restaurants throughout the Americas. "We set a high standard for our Latin American operations," Baruki says.

In Sao Paulo, for example, Gobert's culinary contributions are spreading beyond the InterContinental Sao Paulo, according to Chertouh. "His international knowledge is transmitted to local chefs, creating opportunities for people to learn," says Chertouh. "We enjoy building the base of culinary knowledge and skills in our community."