InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to reposition its Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts as a portfolio of 'upper-upscale' properties.

Announcing its three-phased strategy at its annual conference in Las Vegas, US, IHG said it expects all 400 Crowne Plaza hotels in 52 countries to be repositioned by 2015.

The three phases of the repositioning are defined as "Freshen Up", "Move Up" and "Shine".

The first "Freshen Up" phase will focus on raising product quality and consistency, primarily in the Americas, driving revenue and performance across the portfolio.

The second phase, "Move Up", will see development and distribution in major gateway cities and resort markets, as well as increasing brand awareness and delivering on key drivers of guest satisfaction.

In the final "Shine" phase, the new brand hallmarks will be tested across the globe.