The Holiday Inn® Brand Launches #JourneyOnContest Inspiring Consumers To Share Their Extraordinary Journeys Through Visual Storytelling

Campaign Also Gives Consumers The Chance To Win Free Room Nights

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Sep 25, 2014, 09:00 ET

ATLANTA, Sept. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announced the launch of its Holiday Inn^® brand's #JourneyOnContest via Instagram as part of the brand's Journey to Extraordinary campaign. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a single image can convey a powerful story that inspires many. From the first family road trip to the finish line of a race, photographs help capture an unforgettable moment in time at its core. That's why the Holiday Inn brand wants consumers to share captivating photographs that tell the story of their extraordinary journeys, past or present, in order to win the chance to start their next one.

"Millions of people come through the doors of Holiday Inn hotels every year, each with a unique story to tell. We wanted to give consumers a way to share their stories with the world and inspire others, which is why we launched the #JourneyOnContest," said Maurice Cooper, vice president, Holiday Inn^® Brand, Americas. "From graduation day to starting your own business, every single journey is an extraordinary one. The Journey to Extraordinary campaign continues to be the perfect platform to celebrate the personal journeys of our guests and hopefully spur new ones along the way."

The Holiday Inn brand has commissioned three influential Instagram photographers to serve as artistic inspiration for consumers during the #JourneyOnContest. Notable photographers Kyle Kuiper, Laura Stephens, and Scott Borrero will set out on road trips virtually taking consumers with them from one stop to the next. Over the course of four weeks, the photographers will each spend five days traveling across the U.S. and Canada visiting Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Resort® hotels to visually capture the extraordinary stories of guests they meet along the way, and their own personal journeys from the road.

In addition, now through October 17, 2014, eligible participants who share their extraordinary journeys on Instagram with the hashtag #JourneyOnContest will be entered to win one of 26 free room nights being given away to any Holiday Inn hotel in the world every day of the sweepstakes.* With an eye for creativity, authenticity and style, our photographers also will judge and select one winning entry from all of the eligible entries* to win the grand prize of the #JourneyOnContest which includes two first-class, round-trip airfare tickets and a week-long stay to the Holiday Inn hotel of their choice.**

Consumers can enter the #JourneyOnContest in three easy steps:

Take a photo capturing their own personal journey
Share via Instagram and use the hashtag #JourneyOnContest
Add a caption that further tells the story behind the journey

All photos shared on Instagram by our team of photographers, and those submitted by consumers, will aggregate on the brand's microsite ExtraordinaryJourney.HolidayInn.com where visitors will also have the chance to "like" photos submitted, share photos with friends and family through various social media platforms, and learn more about our photographers.

* For eligibility requirements, rules and complete details visit the Holiday Inn #JourneyOnContest page; Free nights will be given as IHG^® Rewards Club points; Open to residents in the U.S. and Canada. Void in Quebec and where prohibited

** Hotel nights will be given as IHG^® Rewards Club points; Open to residents in the U.S. and Canada. Void in Quebec and where prohibited

About the Holiday Inn® brand

With over 1,100 hotels worldwide, the Holiday Inn® brand is the most widely recognized lodging brand in the world. In fact, the Holiday Inn brand was one of the first international hotel brands to establish a presence in China in 1984. The Holiday Inn brand provides the services that business travelers need, while also offering a comfortable atmosphere where all people can relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming pools, fitness centers and comfortable lounges. The casual atmosphere and amenities such as meeting and on-site business facilities, and Kids Stay and Eat Free programs, demonstrates the long-standing commitment of the Holiday Inn brand to serving travelers and have helped to establish the brand as "America's Favorite Hotel." For more information about the Holiday Inn brand, visit www.holidayinn.com or call 1-800-HOLIDAY. Find us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/holidayinn or Facebook www.Facebook.com/holidayinnhotels.

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.

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®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts.

IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 80 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 4,700 hotels and 693,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries, with almost 1,200 hotels in its development pipeline.

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