InterContinental Hotels Offers Insider Tips to Navigate High-Season Crowds

Insider tips include knowledge on the best times of day to visit cultural attractions, exclusive access to special venues and exhibits, and suggestions on hotel packages remarkable for their destination-specific focus and ability to offer guests an unforgettable travel experience. A few ways to combat “High-Season Hysteria” with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts include:

InterContinental Concierge iPad 2 Global Initiative – Keeping Travelers In The Know, On The Go

To ensure travelers have unparalleled access to local attractions, cultural events and “Insider” travel tips, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts can connect guests face-to-face with Concierge teams across the country using the recently launched iPadTM 2 from Apple®. Using the interactive FaceTime® feature on Apple products – be it a MacBook, iPhone® 4, iPod touch® or iPad 2 – consumers can video chat with InterContinental's highly equipped Concierge teams and receive top-notch personalized service and destination recommendations before they even leave home. www.chat.intercontinental.com

InterContinental Boston – Venture to Boston & Beyond

InterContinental Boston's Chef Concierge, city insider Marc Simoneau, has seen his share of summer traffic in Boston, especially when it comes to popular historic sites. With regards to Boston's much-visited Freedom Trail, Mr. Simoneau recommends taking the water taxi to the end of the trail and working backwards; conveniently enough, there is a water taxi stop directly at the InterContinental Boston. For travelers seeking to explore surrounding destinations such as Cape Cod – notorious for its four-hour-plus summer traffic – the hotel's Concierge team recommends riding the 90-minute high-speed ferry from Boston to Provincetown, the Cape's hot spot. The water taxi can transport guests directly from InterContinental Boston to the ferry in a short, five-minute taxi ride. For those willing to explore the city proper, Mr. Simoneau can organize exclusive after-hour tours of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) and the Boston Children's Museum. www.intercontinental.com/boston

InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta – Adventure in ATL's Backyard

Perfect for the well-heeled family seeking a low-key staycation in their own city, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta's “Backyard Adventure” package offers guests a Deluxe guest room, complimentary breakfast buffet for four (2 adults, 2 children, ages 12 and under), complimentary overnight parking, a dining voucher to use at the property's restaurant, and concierge services to assist in helping guests plan their own Atlanta outing. The package requires booking one day in advance and is valid through August 31. www.intercontinental.com/buckhead

InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile – Skip the Queue in Chi-Town

For guests looking to breeze through the Windy City's most popular attractions, Victor Colon, Chef Concierge of the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, recommends purchasing a VIP pass and skipping the two-hour-plus lines for the popular Shedd Aquarium. As an official hotel partner of the venue, the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile's passes allow guests to forgo the line and walk right in. Another tip: when visiting the John Hancock Observatory, instead of crowding around the observation deck on the 94th floor, guests can visit the Signature lounge on the 96th floor that affords the same view without the crowds all for just the cost of a beverage or appetizer. www.intercontinental.com/icchicago

InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco and InterContinental San Francisco – Golden Summer Hours in the Golden Gate City

InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco's prized Chef Concierge, Dan Sotelo, advises prospective guests to “plan, plan, and plan ahead” when eyeing a summer jaunt to the Bay Area. Getting around San Francisco is fairly easy, but as Chef Concierge Bill Sutton from the InterContinental San Francisco can attest, guests can always benefit from purchasing commute essentials such as a Muni Pass and partaking in iconic city activities such as riding a cable car. Both hotels' excellent Concierge teams can assist with everything from accessing tickets to popular attractions – including scenic cruises to Alcatraz and stadium seats for a Giants game – to advising on destination-specific travel staples such as a warm sweater; surprisingly, July is the coldest and foggiest month of the year! www.intercontinental.com/sanfrancisco and
www.intercontinental.com/sanfranciscoca

InterContinental New York Barclay – Enjoy the Manhattan Bar Scene on a Budget

InterContinental New York Barclay's intimate Barclay Bar puts a retro twist on weeknight wind-down with its just-launched Decades Cocktail Hour. Offered from 5:00 p.m. through 8:00 p.m., the Barclay Bar celebrates a different era each week night with decade-specific music, moving images and affordable $8 featured cocktails – bar-hoppers can toast with a ‘20s Sidecar on Mondays and gab with girlfriends while enjoying the ‘90s Cosmopolitan on Fridays. Five original video projections will be displayed nightly serving as kinetic portraits of each decade, while custom playlists revive the spirit of the times with authenticity and style. www.intercontinental.com/newyork

InterContinental New York Times Square – Beat the Tourist Masses to New York's Epicenter

The tip to navigating Times Square, Manhattan's thriving theater and commercial district, is to one-up the legions of travelers who flock there every summer. The InterContinental Concierge team at InterContinental New York Times Square recommends booking well in advance as the area tends to run at 90 percent occupancy during the leisurely summer months. Luckily, the hotel offers an advance purchase rate which extends a 10 to 15 percent discount off retail rates when guests book ahead. www.intercontinental.com/timessquare

Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. – Undercover Summer Experience in the Nation's Capital

As America marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War in 2011, Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. will highlight its significant history of the period with Willard Hotel and the Civil War, a year-long event in conjunction with Destination D.C.'s regional Civil War to Civil Rights. To highlight various aspects of the Willard's history during this period, the hotel has partnered with such prestigious organizations as the International Spy Museum for a special summer event on Tuesday, June 21: "Spy Rings, Covert Action, and Deception: Spies and their Tactics." Guests can join International Spy Museum historian Mark Stout and his team of experts to discuss the value of intelligence and deceptive measures during the Civil War, as well as explore the spy "gadgets" available to the Civil War-era James Bond. www.intercontinental.com/washington