InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest luxury hotel brand, today reveals the most iconic sights, sounds, tastes, smells and sensations that travellers should experience in 2020 if they want to really get to know the city they are visiting. The first ever InterContinental ICons range from the smell of fresh bagels at a West Village shop in New York and the unique flavours of Karak Chai in Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, to enjoying the sight of contrasting old and new architecture in London.

The list of experiences was determined through an online public vote and then ranked by a panel of worldly influencers and leading travel experts as the best additions to conventional tourist destinations. The InterContinental ICons will also inspire curated experiences that can be booked at some of the leading InterContinental Hotels and Resorts across the world.

Top InterContinental ICons in each city:

Paris – Smell of oven-fresh bread from the boulangeries of Oberkampf

London – The contrast of old and new architecture on the ever-changing London skyline

New York – Fresh bagels at a West Village bagel shop

Dubai – Tasting the many unique flavours of Karak Chai along Jumeirah Beach Road

Sydney – The cool breeze on your face as you ride the Manly to Circular Quay ferry

Mexico City – The smoky flavour of tacos al pastor

Shanghai – The sound of old songs played on a vinyl record player

The campaign was developed based on insight from an independent study by the brand. The research revealed that most locals (59%) feel visitors are missing out on the true spirit of a place, while 75% of luxury travellers want to experience cities like a well-informed local.

Jane Mackie, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, IHG Luxury Portfolio comments: “True to the InterContinental brand’s heritage of pioneering luxury travel, we’ve spent the last few months working with leading experts and canvassing public opinion to uncover truly fascinating and meaningful details that showcase the best of global cities around the world. We are excited to reveal the first ever list of InterContinental ICons as well as curated itineraries to inspire travellers to go deeper.”

Charlie Hamilton James, Photographer, National Geographic and member of the judging panel comments: “I loved working on the InterContinental ICons campaign – it opened my eyes to the many undiscovered facets that I’d been missing in each of these well-visited cities. Each one holds an infinite number of secrets and experiencing the ICons is just the way to start uncovering them.”

Haifa Beseisso, Travel blogger said: “I was born in Dubai and I’ve always loved the mix of culture and amazing things to do. There’s always something new to discover. It’s a rich city that makes you dream; like seeing the skyscrapers from the desert is a constant reminder that nothing is impossible here. Helping to find the InterContinental ICons of Dubai has helped me appreciate all the things that make this city truly special and I can’t wait for people to come and experience it for themselves.”

Discover the InterContinentalICons in Dubai:

• Tasting the unique flavours of Karak Chai along Jumeirah Beach Road ​​
• The enchanting smell of burning bukhoor, transporting you back in time​​
• Sound of water lapping an Abra as it glides along Dubai Creek ​​
• The crackle of a campfire breaking the silence on a night-time desert escape​
• The fascinating contrast of old and new under the glow of a warm Dubai sunset

Voted by the public and selected with careful consideration from a panel of judges including travel blogger & online influencer Haifa Beseisso, Dubai Tourism’s Aida AlBusaidy and IHG Les Clefs d’Or Concierge, the ICons represent the true essence of Dubai.

Those visiting Dubai will rediscover the city through distinctive experiences at both InterContinental Dubai Festival City and InterContinental Dubai Marina. The new hotel programming will endeavour to entice guests to discover the true culture of the city, celebrating authentic places and moments that might be overlooked by visitors but are truly part of what makes Dubai special. The experiences will intersect the old and new of Dubai, taking guests on a sensory journey with activities like a bespoke Arabic bukhoor session with an InterContinental expert or a unique tea-tasting experience at a masterclass in the heart of Dubai Marina.