<strong>Vintage hotel photos:</strong> The InterContinental Hotel brand was established 75 years ago by Juan Trippe, founder of Pan American Airways. Here's a photo of the InterContinental Medellin Hotel in Medellin, Colombia, which opened in 1970.
Vintage hotel photos: The InterContinental Hotel brand was established 75 years ago by Juan Trippe, founder of Pan American Airways. Here's a photo of the InterContinental Medellin Hotel in Medellin, Colombia, which opened in 1970.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Varied interiors:</strong> There was no universal blueprint for InterContinental Hotel interiors. Instead, hotel rooms and bars varied depending on the city and country. Interior designer Neal Prince sought inspiration from local art and culture. Pictured here: interior of the InterContinental Medellin.
Varied interiors: There was no universal blueprint for InterContinental Hotel interiors. Instead, hotel rooms and bars varied depending on the city and country. Interior designer Neal Prince sought inspiration from local art and culture. Pictured here: interior of the InterContinental Medellin.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Sprit of travel: </strong>"When you woke up from a jet lag, you felt you were in Paris, or Geneva, or Brazil, or Colombia," a representative of the Neal Prince Trust, which has kept the designer's work alive since his death in 2017, tells CNN Travel. "That was his trademark." Here's the lobby of the Frankfurt InterContinental Hotel, which opened in 1963.
Sprit of travel: "When you woke up from a jet lag, you felt you were in Paris, or Geneva, or Brazil, or Colombia," a representative of the Neal Prince Trust, which has kept the designer's work alive since his death in 2017, tells CNN Travel. "That was his trademark." Here's the lobby of the Frankfurt InterContinental Hotel, which opened in 1963.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Frankfurt rooftop views</strong>: M. C. Huhne, author of "<a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.callisto-publishers.com%2Fproject%2Fpan-am-history-design-identity-standard-edition%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Pan Am: History, Design and Identity</a>" calls InterContinental "the first international hotel chain." While InterContinental was looking global, its equivalent hotel chains were mostly focused on domestic markets:
Frankfurt rooftop views: M. C. Huhne, author of "Pan Am: History, Design and Identity" calls InterContinental "the first international hotel chain." While InterContinental was looking global, its equivalent hotel chains were mostly focused on domestic markets:
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Lounging in Ecuador: </strong>Here's the lounge at InterContinental Quito, in Ecuador, which opened in 1967. Prince worked closely with photographer Arie deZanger, who took photos of many of his interiors for InterContinental, including this one.
Lounging in Ecuador: Here's the lounge at InterContinental Quito, in Ecuador, which opened in 1967. Prince worked closely with photographer Arie deZanger, who took photos of many of his interiors for InterContinental, including this one.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Sense of color: </strong>New York-based Arie deZanger was a fashion photographer who worked closely with his wife, Wilma, who'd studied fashion design. Wilma tells CNN Travel she always loved Prince's hotel interiors: "His sense of color, his sense of the materials that were used, the choices were just amazing." Here's the restaurant at InterContinental Quito.
Sense of color: New York-based Arie deZanger was a fashion photographer who worked closely with his wife, Wilma, who'd studied fashion design. Wilma tells CNN Travel she always loved Prince's hotel interiors: "His sense of color, his sense of the materials that were used, the choices were just amazing." Here's the restaurant at InterContinental Quito.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Teamwork:</strong> Wilma tells CNN Travel she'd travel with her husband on his InterContinental assignments, coordinating productions, dressing sets, assisting with wardrobe, sourcing models, and occasionally standing in as a model herself. Here's Arie deZanger's photo of the Oberoi InterContinental Hotel in New Delhi, India which opened in 1965.
Teamwork: Wilma tells CNN Travel she'd travel with her husband on his InterContinental assignments, coordinating productions, dressing sets, assisting with wardrobe, sourcing models, and occasionally standing in as a model herself. Here's Arie deZanger's photo of the Oberoi InterContinental Hotel in New Delhi, India which opened in 1965.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Setting the scene: </strong>The deZangers would make a list of every scene they wanted to capture at each hotel, and then Wilma would source models. Often Pan Am flight attendants and pilots would step in, she says, as well as hotel employees. Here's the restaurant at the InterContinental Wien Hotel in Vienna, Austria, which opened in 1964 and is still operating today.
Setting the scene: The deZangers would make a list of every scene they wanted to capture at each hotel, and then Wilma would source models. Often Pan Am flight attendants and pilots would step in, she says, as well as hotel employees. Here's the restaurant at the InterContinental Wien Hotel in Vienna, Austria, which opened in 1964 and is still operating today.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Aerial photography: </strong>Sometimes photographing the exterior of the hotels was a challenge, as when deZanger captured this shot of the Tahara'a InterContinental in Pape'éte, Tahiti, in French Polynesia, from a small airplane with the door removed and no seatbelt.
Aerial photography: Sometimes photographing the exterior of the hotels was a challenge, as when deZanger captured this shot of the Tahara'a InterContinental in Pape'éte, Tahiti, in French Polynesia, from a small airplane with the door removed and no seatbelt.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>"American fantasy:"</strong> While Prince's designs incorporated local artistry and culture, Prince's designs for the Tahara'a also catered to "an American fantasy of the South Pacific, formed by movies like 'Blue Hawaii' and the tiki bars of the 1960s," as <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnealprince.omeka.net%2Fitems%2Fshow%2F82" target="_blank" target="_blank">the New York School of Design puts it. </a>
"American fantasy:" While Prince's designs incorporated local artistry and culture, Prince's designs for the Tahara'a also catered to "an American fantasy of the South Pacific, formed by movies like 'Blue Hawaii' and the tiki bars of the 1960s," as the New York School of Design puts it.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Indoor and outdoor</strong>: Wilma calls photographer Arie deZanger "an expert with lighting," describing how he'd capture indoor and outdoor scenery in one shot, such as in this photograph of a bedroom in the Tahara'a InterContinental.
Indoor and outdoor: Wilma calls photographer Arie deZanger "an expert with lighting," describing how he'd capture indoor and outdoor scenery in one shot, such as in this photograph of a bedroom in the Tahara'a InterContinental.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Inside the Tahara'a</strong>: The Tahara'a InterContinental is now an abandoned building.
Inside the Tahara'a: The Tahara'a InterContinental is now an abandoned building.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Swimming scene: </strong>Photographing the hotel pool was always a priority for the deZangers. Here's the Tahara'a InterContinental pool, with its incredible views. When needed, Wilma would step in as a model -- and she did so here. She's one of the people around the pool in this shot.
Swimming scene: Photographing the hotel pool was always a priority for the deZangers. Here's the Tahara'a InterContinental pool, with its incredible views. When needed, Wilma would step in as a model -- and she did so here. She's one of the people around the pool in this shot.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Stepping into the shot:</strong> Wilma deZanger was also in this image of the Hotel Indonesia in Jakarta Indonesia, which opened in 1962. She's sat alone, on the right, in the far back.
Stepping into the shot: Wilma deZanger was also in this image of the Hotel Indonesia in Jakarta Indonesia, which opened in 1962. She's sat alone, on the right, in the far back.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Lobby views:</strong> Here's a glimpse inside the lobby of the Ducor InterContinental Hotel in Monrovia, Liberia, which opened in 1960 but was taken over by InterContinental in 1962. It's now abandoned.
Lobby views: Here's a glimpse inside the lobby of the Ducor InterContinental Hotel in Monrovia, Liberia, which opened in 1960 but was taken over by InterContinental in 1962. It's now abandoned.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>The Ducor InterContinental</strong>: The Ducor InterContinental was the brand's first hotel on the African continent.
The Ducor InterContinental: The Ducor InterContinental was the brand's first hotel on the African continent.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Bali Beach:</strong> Here's the lounge bar of the Bali Beach InterContinental Hotel in Sanur, Bali, Indonesia, opened in 1966.
Bali Beach: Here's the lounge bar of the Bali Beach InterContinental Hotel in Sanur, Bali, Indonesia, opened in 1966.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Parisian ballroom</strong>: This is the grand ballroom of the InterContinental Paris Hotel, photographed in 1969. This historic building was reopened by InterContinental following a renovation.
Parisian ballroom: This is the grand ballroom of the InterContinental Paris Hotel, photographed in 1969. This historic building was reopened by InterContinental following a renovation.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Nightlife in Mexico City: </strong>The bar of the Reform InterContinental Hotel, Mexico City, Mexico. Wilma deZanger says when she was tracking down models, she'd always ask them to bring a variety of outfit options.
Nightlife in Mexico City: The bar of the Reform InterContinental Hotel, Mexico City, Mexico. Wilma deZanger says when she was tracking down models, she'd always ask them to bring a variety of outfit options.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Meeting place: </strong>Here's one of the meeting rooms in the Reform InterContinental Hotel, Mexico City.
Meeting place: Here's one of the meeting rooms in the Reform InterContinental Hotel, Mexico City.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Poolside view: </strong>InterContinental Manila Hotel opened in Makati in the Philippines in 1969. Here's a view of the pool taken by Arie deZanger.
Poolside view: InterContinental Manila Hotel opened in Makati in the Philippines in 1969. Here's a view of the pool taken by Arie deZanger.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>InterContinental Jerusalem</strong>: Wilma deZanger is also in this shot of the Seven Arches restaurant in the InterContinental Jerusalem Hotel. She's the woman in blue in the back.
InterContinental Jerusalem: Wilma deZanger is also in this shot of the Seven Arches restaurant in the InterContinental Jerusalem Hotel. She's the woman in blue in the back.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>Cafe Le Voltaire:</strong> There were several bars and restaurants in the InterContinental Geneva Hotel, opened in 1964, including Cafe Le Voltaire, pictured. The hotel is still open and operates as InterContinental today.
Cafe Le Voltaire: There were several bars and restaurants in the InterContinental Geneva Hotel, opened in 1964, including Cafe Le Voltaire, pictured. The hotel is still open and operates as InterContinental today.
Courtesy of Arie deZanger
<strong>1980s influence:</strong> One of Neal Prince's later jobs was the Mayfair InterContinental Hotel in London, which opened in 1982 and marked a move away from mid-century modern to a more '80s look.
1980s influence: One of Neal Prince's later jobs was the Mayfair InterContinental Hotel in London, which opened in 1982 and marked a move away from mid-century modern to a more '80s look.
Courtesy Neal Prince Trust
<strong>Final project: </strong>Neal Prince's last project for InterContinental was its Washington DC outpost. InterContinental had originally focused on opening hotels outside of the US, but renovated this old building in DC into a luxury hotel opening in 1986.
Final project: Neal Prince's last project for InterContinental was its Washington DC outpost. InterContinental had originally focused on opening hotels outside of the US, but renovated this old building in DC into a luxury hotel opening in 1986.
Courtesy Neal Prince Trust