The Holiday Inn® Brand And Roadtrippers Seek America's Most Epic Road Trip

ATLANTA, July 12, 2016 -- Since the inception of cars and the national system of highways, travelers from coast to coast have spent summers hitting the road to explore America and build memories with friends, loved ones and the people they meet along the way. While technology has changed the way travelers plan and take trips – from mobile route planning and photo sharing to podcasts and streaming playlists – the tradition of the great American road trip is one that continues today. In honor of that tradition, IHG's Holiday Inn^® brand and Roadtrippers, a web and mobile road trip planner, today announce their search for America's Most Epic Road Trip. For the second year, the Holiday Inn brand and Roadtrippers have partnered to make it easier and more enjoyable for travelers to plan, chronicle and share their extraordinary travel experiences as they hit the road, and this year are also offering travelers the chance to win a brag-worthy adventure of their own.

Eric Lent, Vice President, Holiday Inn® and Crowne Plaza®, The Americas, IHG said: "Last year, we collaborated with the Roadtrippers team to develop articles, photo essays and travel tips, curated to inspire readers to take their own journeys. Our partnership showcased the many amazing adventures travelers can have across the U.S., the unique sights they can discover and how Holiday Inn hotels are there to provide a warm welcome and great night's rest along the way. We are excited that this year, we are able to make the program even greater, leveraging Roadtrippers' interactive map and Trip Guides, to seek and select a winner to take an epic road trip of their own, staying in Holiday Inn hotels throughout their travels."

According to AAA, gasoline demand remains on track to set a new all-time high for the 2016 summer driving season[1]. American travelers are hitting the road in a big way, and the introduction of new Trip Guides from Roadtrippers makes it easier for travelers to plan trips to places they'll love and share their own adventures. The new feature merges travel stories with functional trip itineraries, so travelers can read about amazing places, locate them on the map, and sync an itinerary across devices.

As part of the America's Most Epic Road Trip contest, the Holiday Inn brand and Roadtrippers have asked travelers to share their favorite places to visit within the United States – from natural wonders to small-town hidden gems. The teams will take inspiration from user recommendations to create a single, epic road trip and send one winner on the adventure. To enter for a chance to win*, travelers can share guides they create and encourage friends and family to vote. Program prizes include:

Grand Prize Winner: Seven free nights at Holiday Inn hotels and $2,000 travel money
Five Semi-Finalists: Three free nights at Holiday Inn nights and $500 travel money

Entries will be evaluated based on alignment with the contest theme (quality of locations submitted), thoroughness and thoughtfulness of editorial as well as by the voting community. Voting is open now through Sept. 7, 2016.

Joshua Smibert, Chief Operating Officer, Roadtrippers said: "Teaming up with the Holiday Inn brand again in 2016 allows us to build upon last year's program, empowering travelers to discover and share amazing places wherever they go. Storytelling has traditionally been a way for people to learn from others' experiences, and Trip Guides are our way of translating those wonderful stories from the road into helpful itineraries that make planning that extraordinary road trip less daunting."

The 2016 collaboration builds on the success of the two brands' collaboration last year. The 2015 program resulted in incredibly strong engagement, reaching millions of travelers through the inspiring stories from the road and extraordinary journeys told through the voices of everyday travelers. The collaboration between the Holiday Inn brand and Roadtrippers was a natural fit as both brands were born out of the quintessential American road trip and have visions of making travel more memorable and joyful for everyone. Roadtrippers believes that no matter where you are, there is something worth discovering just five minutes away, and on that road to discovery, a Holiday Inn hotel is always nearby.

About the Holiday Inn® brand

The Holiday Inn^®brand, which offers more than 1,220 hotels and resorts worldwide, has helped millions of travelers discover the joy of travel since its inception in 1952. Designed to meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers, Holiday Inn hotels deliver memorable experiences through warm and welcoming service, contemporary design that blends the familiar with the new, and a sense of comfort unique to the brand and its iconic green sign. At Holiday Inn hotels, guests can find amenities to help them work and play, including full-service restaurants where Kids Eat Free, meeting and business facilities, bright swimming pools and comfortable lounges all designed to help guests relax and refresh, making travel more enjoyable for all. For more information about the Holiday Inn brand, visit www.holidayinn.com or call 1-888-HOLIDAY. Find us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/holidayinn or Facebook www.Facebook.com/holidayinnhotels.

About Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is a web and mobile road trip planner, built to help travelers discover the world around them in an entirely new way. The free app enables travelers to find places they'll love, plan and map trip itineraries, and navigate their route on the road. Over 8 million trips have been planned on Roadtrippers since 2011, powered by a database of millions of the best travel locations including diners, national parks, museums, hotels and more. The web and mobile apps are free to use (iOS, Android).

Notes to Editors:

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

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,000 hotels and nearly 742,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with nearly 1,400 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty programme, with nearly 94 million members worldwide.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

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 and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg and www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

[1] AAA, Gas Prices Drop for Nine Consecutive Days, June 20, 2016

SOURCE Holiday Inn

CONTACT: Jordan Worrall, Holiday Inn® Brand, jordan.worrall@ihg.com, 770.604.5010; Natalie Akers, Roadtrippers, natalie.akers@roadtrippers.com, 413.446.5152