InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the signing of a new 900-room property in downtown Los Angeles, California, slated to open in 2017.

AC Martin will design the 73-storey, 1,100-foot tall development, which is set to be the tallest building in the western United States, providing unobstructed 360-degree views of Los Angeles. Currently under construction, the mixed-use development will house the InterContinental hotel as well as offices and retail space. It will be the first hotel to be built by Korean Air in the US, as part of Korean Air and Hanjin Group’s $1.1 billion Wilshire Grand project.

Once completed it will be the largest InterContinental hotel in the Americas region, and the first on the West Coast to have a sky lobby, which is located on the 70^th floor. The impressive height and sleek design of the building complements the style of the InterContinental brand’s city hotel destinations. In particular, the new property will reflect the four ecological typologies of Los Angeles while also embracing the laid-back sophistication of the city. The natural wood and warm colours in the building will reflect the city’s beach culture while the hotel’s sky lobby will incorporate Los Angeles’ car culture into the design through abstract representations of car lines into the internal panelling and décor.

Kirk Kinsell, President, the Americas at IHG comments: “InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is IHG’s luxury brand, which we have grown to be more than twice the size of any other luxury brand globally. We remain focused on building its presence in top-tier cities and resorts around the globe; and our partnership with Korean Air is very much in line with this strategy. We are pleased to be working with such highly experienced owners.”

Heather Cho, Vice President of Hanjin International Corporation comments: “We are delighted to have InterContinental Hotels & Resorts join our Korean Air family of hotels. The InterContinental brand is well respected by world travellers and embodies the luxury experience we intend to provide at the Wilshire Grand. They recognised the potential of this significant project and that was important in our decision.”

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