Motel 6 Updates the Classic Road Trip with Contest to Mark 50 Years

DALLAS, Texas, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Road-trip fanatics, get packing: In honor of its 50th Anniversary, Motel 6 is issuing a call for three "Open Road Correspondents" to travel and report on some of the best stretches of American highways. Honoring Motel 6's commitment to sustainability, Correspondents will travel "green" by using environmentally-friendly vehicles and digital map applications to help conserve fuel and energy. Winners also will stay at predetermined Motel 6 locations, several of which have been updated with earth-friendly features, like 80-percent recycled material flooring, low-flow toilets, high-efficiency heating and cooling units and energy-efficient lighting.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120521/CG09654)

Winning Correspondents - and one companion each – will embark along one of three classic routes, each approximately 1,000 miles long with four to six city stops, including:

• Route 66 (Amarillo, Texas, to Santa Monica, Calif.)
• The Pacific Coast Highway (Tumwater, Wash., to Santa Barbara, Calif.)
• Southern Route (Austin, Texas, to Destin, Fla.)

Each prize package is valued at $6,000 and includes two third generation, 64GB, Wi-Fi enabled iPads.

Candidates(1) can apply on the Road Trip Correspondent tab on Motel 6's Facebook page between May 21 and June 15 by submitting a two-minute video explaining what makes them the ideal Motel 6 correspondent.

Facebook fans will have the chance to vote on their favorite finalist June 25-29 when contenders' videos will be featured at www.Facebook.com/Motel6. Winners will be notified by July 6. The social-media savvy Correspondents will then travel between July 16 and Sept. 3, 2012, documenting their trip along the way with status updates and photos.

"The Motel 6 brand is an iconic part of the American road trip. For 50 years, Motel 6 has offered a clean, comfortable room at the lowest price of any national chain – making travel an affordable possibility for generations of travelers" said Motel 6 chief marketing officer, Lance Miceli. "Today, we're excited to introduce a new generation of price-conscious travelers to these historic American trips and eco-friendly properties to mark our anniversary."

About Motel 6
Motel 6 offers the lowest price of any national chain at more than 1,100 company-owned and franchised locations throughout the United States and Canada. For over 25 years, Motel 6 has used the tagline, "We'll leave the light on for you®," earning the chain the highest brand recognition in the economy lodging segment. Motel 6 was the first national pet friendly chain, welcoming pets since 1962. Standard amenities include free local phone calls, no long distance access charges, free morning coffee and expanded cable channel line-up. Most locations offer Wi-Fi Internet access, swimming pools and guest laundry facilities. For more information, visit www.motel6.com.

About Accor North America
Headquartered in Dallas (Carrollton), Texas, Accor North America operates more than 1,100 upscale and economy properties including nationwide economy leaders Motel 6 and Studio 6, Sofitel Luxury Hotels and upscale Novotel locations in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.accor-na.com.

About Accor
Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, is present in 92 countries with more than 4,400 hotels and 530,000 rooms. Accor's broad portfolio of hotel brands - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, all seasons/ibis Styles, Etap Hotel/Formule 1/ibis budget, hotelF1 and Motel 6 - provide an extensive offer from luxury to budget. With more than 180,000 employees* in Accor brand hotels worldwide, the Group offers to its clients and partners nearly 45 years of know-how and expertise.

CONTACTS
Laura Rojo-Eddy
Director, Corporate Communications
Accor North America
972-360-5970
[email protected]

Michelle Hagans
GolinHarris
972-341-2503
[email protected]

(1) Candidates must be U.S. residents and at least 21 years of age with a valid driver's license. Official rules are posted on the Open Road Correspondents tab on Motel 6's page on Facebook. Motel 6 Open Road Correspondents Terms & Conditions

SOURCE Motel 6