Two new InterContinental Hotels & Resorts properties will soon be arriving in San Antonio and the Seattle area via a massive renovation project and new development, respectively. 

InterContinental San Antonio

A massive renovation project to transform a shuttered Wyndham property into an InterContinental hotel has begun construction in San Antonio. Located on the San Antonio River Walk, the 21-story, 391-room InterContinental San Antonio is owned by IHG Hotels & Resorts and Scarlett Hotel Group (SHG) and will include 40,000 square feet of meeting space, premium dining and bar concepts and luxury rooftop amenities. 

Upon completion in late 2024, the hotel will become the first San Antonio property for the InterContinental brand. Designed to cater to the city’s convention and business travel market, the hotel will help expand the city’s presence in the high-end leisure market.  

Trailbreak Partners, a Denver-based real estate investment and development firm, worked with SHG to secure the $158 million in financing that will completely transform the hotel into a luxury property, according to SHG officials.         

“It’s an honor to work with our partners at Trailbreak and IHG to bring a storied luxury hotel brand like InterContinental Hotels & Resorts to the city of San Antonio,” said Zio Pekovic, principal and co-founder of SHG. “We can’t wait for the public and convention planners to experience the incredible space and amenities that this property will add to the community.”         

Originally opened as an office building in 1958, the structure for InterContinental San Antonio went through several hospitality iterations – an Adam’s Mark hotel, the Crowne Plaza San Antonio Riverwalk and finally, the Wyndham San Antonio Riverwalk – before closing in 2021 when SHG acquired it from Cypress Real Estate Advisors of Austin.

Located in the heart of San Antonio, the hotel features a rooftop pool with downtown views, as well as direct access to the River Walk and river taxi landing area. Bespoke paintings, sculptures and furniture will enhance the lobby and guest rooms, and a new rooftop design will maximize the expansive outdoor space.

The property will also feature multiple levels of spaces for dining and gathering, including co-working spaces designed to easily transform into private dining spaces in the evening. 

Major glass exposures in meeting rooms will be constructed with electrochromic glass, making it easier to control backlighting or maximize daylight for events and presentations. 

“We are delighted to enhance our growing luxury and lifestyle portfolio in the Americas with the addition of InterContinental San Antonio,” said Matt Frankiewicz, senior vice president, development, Americas for IHG. “InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the world’s first and largest international luxury hotel brand with 211 open properties and 93 in the global pipeline, and this property is an exciting addition to the brand portfolio.” 

He continued, “The energizing spirit of San Antonio coupled with the unrivaled experiences, inspiring design and personalized service for which InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is globally celebrated will undoubtedly create a memorable experience for visitors and locals alike.”

InterContinental Bellevue at The Avenue  

The Pacific Northwest is about to get its first InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property. Opening in October, the InterContinental Bellevue at The Avenue is a new hospitality and residential development located in downtown Bellevue, Wash. Featuring two towers housing 365 luxury condominiums, a 208-room InterContinental Hotel, high-end retail space, celebrity chef-led dining concepts and multiple meeting and event spaces, the new development is set in Bellevue’s technology hub with views of Lake Washington, the neighboring Seattle skyline and the Olympic Mountains.

“Incredible forces of design and ingenuity have gifted Bellevue with this beautiful new development that matches the vibrancy of the city,” said General Manager Haje Thurau. “Come October, we look forward to welcoming travelers with the signature service that defines a stay with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.” 

Along with 190 contemporary luxury rooms, 17 suites and a 1,500-sq.-ft. two-bedroom Presidential Suite, the hotel will feature 12,000 square feet of meeting space on the third and fourth floors of the Avenue Center, connected through a sky bridge to the hotel. Nine function rooms include a 4,250-sq.-ft, grand ballroom, 2,400-sq.-ft. junior ballroom, two 400-sq.-ft. meeting rooms and two 350-sq.-ft. board rooms.

Three celebrity chefs introducing their restaurant concepts at the complex include Chef Joshua Skenes, bringing his fresh take on fine dining by leveraging Washington’s mountains, forests, lakes and ocean waters; Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto presenting a world-class Asian fusion restaurant experience inspired by the culinary traditions of his native Japan; and James Beard-nominated Chef Robbie Felice offering a first-of-its-kind Italian ramen shop fusing Japanese and Italian culture and cuisine.

Managed by Benchmark Resorts & Hotels, the independent lifestyle division of Pyramid Global Hospitality, it is owned by Fortress Development, a Bellevue-based commercial real estate developer and privately held investment company.  

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