Press Releases

IHG Selects Design and Build Route For Global HQ

Tuesday 22nd April 2008

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has chosen the design and build route for the £9 million fit out of its new 93,000 square ft international headquarters in the UK.

Morgan Lovell has been appointed to create the new offices for the hotel giant at Broadwater Park, the prestigious site in Uxbridge, Middlesex, formerly home to the Denham film studios.

Located near to junction 1 of the M40, the building was bought by IHG in 2007. The company immediately enacted a sale and leaseback deal with Invista Ltd, a real estate and investment management company, to fund the purchase and fit out.

Morgan Lovell’s southern team, based in the Thames Valley at Wokingham, will be managing the project which includes full consultation, design, M&E, fit out, furniture and the relocation of IHG staff from their present site in Windsor.

Morgan Lovell southern regional managing director, David Cannon, said: “We are delighted to have secured a project of this size under design and build principles.

“We were chosen because of our experience with large-scale office design and fit out programmes together with the ability to offer cost certainty and a guaranteed occupation date.”

Prior to securing the contract, Morgan Lovell undertook a comprehensive study to establish IHG’s exact requirements. The design briefing process included employee surveys, accommodation studies, sample workstations and 3D visualisations. The office transformation company also helped organise an employee event on the Denham site for IHG staff affected by the move.

In addition to the staff open-plan areas, features of the development will also include a full-size gym and dance studio for staff use, as well as fully functional hotel “sample pod” rooms, relevant to the different hotel brands within IHG, such as Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza.

These will function as test sites to trial new products and fittings, before being rolled out across each hotel chain by IHG.

IHG will be able to tap into Morgan Lovell’s green office expertise for the carbon neutral fit out, which will include a full eco-specification for products, based on limiting the travelling distances of materials sourced, and selecting those with a high recycled and recyclable content.

Solar energy will also be a major consideration, as the scheme includes solar controlled blinds and lighting, as well as panels to contribute to the energy needs of the building.

ENDS