InterContinental Hotels links up with Aston Martin Racing

Luxury hotel brand InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has announced a $1.8m (£970,000) sponsorship deal with Aston Martin Racing, as the automotive brand returns to the international motorsport circuit.

Luxury hotel brand InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has announced a $1.8m (&£970,000) sponsorship deal with Aston Martin Racing, as the automotive brand returns to the international motorsport circuit.

The hotel group, which also owns the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands – and is launching a premium “extended stay” hotel brand in the UK to add to its 560,000 rooms globally – is aiming to leverage the partnership and media exposure, via high profile race events, to increase awareness of its brands in the UK and US.

InterContinental is aiming to evolve the global positioning of the brand and bring it to life for guests via exclusive Aston Martin Racing events, driving experiences, weekend packages and VIP tours.

The deal is part of a move to mobilise a global marketing spend of $575m (&£311m) into media and events, and follows a recent tie-up which saw the hotel group become an official partner of Major League Baseball in the US.

According to Peter Gowers, chief marketing officer of InterContinental Hotels, the group is set to revolutionise the way hotels market their brands. With 880 hotels currently under development, a vital element of its strategy will be to focus on developing markets such as China. “Hotels haven’t moved on very far since the 1950s. We’re looking to add points of difference, both in the hotels and how our customers can access us – through our priority club, for example. We need to start marketing our hotel brands like packaged goods brands do.”