The Willard InterContinental® Hotel Honors 50th Anniversary Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have Dream" Speech

ATLANTA, Aug. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Family members of Martin Luther King Jr. and IHG's (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand, will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech with a gospel brunch set to take place in the grand ballroom at the Willard InterContinental, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington D.C., on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 11:30 a.m. Dr. King put the finishing touches on the famous speech in his suite at the Willard Hotel the night before the pivotal August 28, 1963 March on Washington civil rights rally.

Famed mezzo-soprano opera singer Denyce Graves and the Voices of Worship choir under the musical direction of Felicia Kessel-Crawley will perform a selection of Dr. King's favorite gospel songs during the event. Dr. King's daughter, Bernice King, his niece, Dr. Alveda King and other family members will also be in attendance. Other highlights include a sparkling wine reception with a jazz ensemble, an elaborate Southern-style brunch buffet and a commemorative Martin Luther King Jr. keepsake that will be given to all attendees.

During the brunch, the InterContinental brand will also hold a silent auction to benefit the King Center, which is the official, living memorial dedicated to advancing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Event attendees will be able to bid on more than 15 silent auction items, ranging from weekend getaways to top InterContinental hotel destinations from around the world to a copy of the "Martin Luther King Jr.: A King Family Tribute" book signed by the King family. Tickets to the brunch are $132 per person, including tax and gratuity, and tables for parties of 10 are also available for purchase. Please call 202-637-7350 or [email protected] for reservations and further information.   

The Willard InterContinental and InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta hotels will further commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington with celebratory packages:

• Willard InterContinental's Dream the Dream Package

This one-night package for two from Aug. 24 to 25, 2013 includes a night in a Deluxe Room, I Have a Dream Gospel Brunch Tickets and Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Keepsake. Rates start at $399, based on availability. To book this package, please call 202-628-9100 or click here.

• Willard InterContinental's Dream Discovery Package

This two-night package for two is available from Aug. 1 to Sept. 2, 2013 (excluding tours on Mondays and Tuesdays) and includes Deluxe Room Accommodations, Breakfast in Cafe du Parc, Commemorative Keepsake, Tickets for DC in Black - Civil War to Civil Rights Tour, a five-hour bus tour with hotel pick-up which includes visits to such sites as the African American Civil War Museum, Frederick Douglass' Cedar Hill Mansion and the Dr. Martin King Jr. Memorial. Rates start at $318 per room, per night, based on a minimum two-night stay and availability. To book this package, please call 202-628-9100 or click here.

• InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta's Dream Discovery Package

This one-night package for two is available from Aug. 1 to 31, 2013 and includes concierge assistance to plan a tour of the King Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Keepsake, 2000 IHG^® Rewards Club Points per Stay, Breakfast for Two in Southern Art and Self-Parking for One Vehicle Daily. Rates start at $284 per room, per night and to book this package, click here.

About The King Center
Founded in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The King Center is the official, living memorial dedicated to advancing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Having achieved critical goals, including the construction of a major memorial complex honoring Dr. King, providing pivotal leadership for the national holiday in his honor and innovative nonviolence education programs based on his teachings, The King Center is now poised for an exciting new era of energetic growth and development to ignite Dr. King's dream in the hearts and minds of a new generation.

About InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
The InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand has 170 hotels located in more than 60 countries with local insight that comes from over 60 years of experience. As a brand, we believe that superior, understated service and outstanding facilities are important, but what makes us truly different is the genuine interest we show in our guests. Our desire is to help guests make the most of their time. We connect our well-traveled guests to what's special about a destination, by sharing our knowledge, so they enjoy authentic experiences that will enrich their lives and broaden their outlook. For more information, visit http://www.ihg.com/intercontinental, https://twitter.com/InterConHotels or http://www.facebook.com/intercontinental.

Notes to Editors:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of nine hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo® Hotels, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express® Hotels, Staybridge Suites® Hotels, Candlewood Suites® Hotels, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts.

IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 74 million members worldwide. The programme was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet across all hotels, globally.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,600 hotels and 678,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

SOURCE IHG Hotels & Resorts