Hotel Indigo® and Grammy® Nominated Singer/Songwriter Natasha Bedingfield Launch the 'Locals Know Best' Contest

ATLANTA, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotel Indigo® and Grammy® nominated singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield invite locals to enter the Hotel Indigo "Locals Know Best" Contest to uncover the best of America's neighborhoods.  The campaign looks to highlight and celebrate the brand's commitment to providing a distinctive and engaging experience with each and every stay that is reflective of the local neighborhood and charm of the cities where Hotel Indigo properties are located.

"At Hotel Indigo we're very proud to bring the local neighborhood to life within our hotels and we are committed to providing our guests a refreshingly local experience and access to some of the best in food, cultural experiences and surroundings," said Gina LaBarre, vice president, brand management, IHG. "The 'Locals Knows Best' Contest gives us the opportunity to celebrate our neighborhoods as well as interact with our guests and consumers and learn about what they feel is special or unique about their neighborhood."

Starting on July 9th, consumers are invited to enter the Hotel Indigo "Locals Know Best" Contest by visiting www.LocalsKnowBestContest.com to share their neighborhood knowledge on everything from the best restaurant to the perfect route for a morning run.  Applicants are asked to upload a photo and answer in 75 words or less, "What makes your neighborhood great?" Judging is based on quality of photo, expression of local knowledge, creativity/originality and appropriateness to contest theme.

While Natasha Bedingfield puts the finishing touches on her upcoming third album "Strip Me", she is hitting the road with Hotel Indigo to serve as a judge for Hotel Indigo "Locals Know Best-Live" which gives locals a chance to enter the contest live by visiting their local property.  To enter, locals will answer the question "what makes your neighborhood great" and provide a photo that illustrates their answer.  Bedingfield kicks off the first audition in Atlanta (July 15) followed by events at Hotel Indigo properties across the country, including Nashville Downtown on July 22 and San Diego on July 27.  For a list of live auditions at Hotel Indigo properties, visit www.hotelindigo.com.

"I love finding out what's unique and special about each city I travel to.  Whether it's a great boutique shop or a cool place to hear live music, being exposed to new and different experiences that reflect the local community really brings a destination to life," said Bedingfield.  "I am excited to partner with Hotel Indigo to find out some of the best neighborhood spots around the country and meet the locals that know best."

Four Grand Prize winners will win a VIP trip to New York City for two to meet Grammy® Award nominated singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield and take in a special performance at Hotel Indigo's "Locals Know Best" event.  The winners will also be featured in a Hotel Indigo advertisement in People® magazine.  Three of the Grand Prize winners will be chosen by entering online and one Grand Prize winner will be chosen from the live auditions.  

The consumer insights and neighborhood knowledge gathered as part of the contest will be shared with Hotel Indigo guests as local recommendations direct from the local community to help enhance their stay experience.  Additionally, portions of the contest will be featured on Hotel Indigo's social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter.

For complete rules and entry details visit www.LocalsKnowBestContest.com or www.hotelindigo.com.

About Hotel Indigo

Launched in 2004, Hotel Indigo is IHG's upscale boutique brand.  Each Hotel Indigo property is uniquely designed to reflect the culture, character and history of the surrounding neighborhood.  No two hotels are the same. You don't just check into our hotel; you check into our neighborhood.  Meeting the desires of today's business and leisure traveler, the brand offers guests an intimate and approachable boutique experience along with the peace of mind that comes from staying with a large hotel group.  There are currently 34 Hotel Indigo properties open worldwide and more than 60 hotels under development, either in the pipeline or in final negotiation.  For more information on Hotel Indigo, or to make reservations, please visit www.hotelindigo.com.

Hotel Indigo participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards.  With 48 million members worldwide, Priority Club Rewards is the industry's first and largest guest loyalty program. Guests can enroll for free by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.

About Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield has sold more than 10 million singles and albums worldwide and has had five top 10 U.K. singles and 4 top ten U.S. singles. Her 2006 U.S. debut came with the No. 1 single, "These Words". Later that year, "Unwritten" became the most- played song on mainstream American radio.  Her success continued in 2008/2009 with her sophomore album "Pocketful of Sunshine."  It included the platinum hit "Love like This" and the title track went on to sell nearly 3 million singles on iTunes in the U.S.  "Unwritten" received a Grammy Award Nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  Natasha's third album "Strip Me", is slated to be released this Fall.

Notes to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms.  IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, over 4,400 hotels and more than 650,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world.  The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 48 million members worldwide.

IHG has 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 160,000 jobs worldwide 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.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media.

SOURCE Hotel Indigo