IHG Launches New Online Travel Tool Making Travel Planning and Booking Easier

Using Google Earth^TM technology, IHG's guests can plan and book their travel anywhere in the world in just a few simple clicks

ATLANTA (Sept. 24, 2008) Whether you want to visit the exotic islands of the Caribbean, the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, or see the lights of Paris, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, has built a groundbreaking tool unique in the hotel industry that will make it easier to plan and book an IHG branded hotel room anywhere in the world in just a few clicks.

Visitors to IHG's web site http://www.ihg.com/ or http://www.earth.ihg.com/ can download for free a unique tool that combines Google Earth technology with a special IHG hotels file. Once the file is downloaded, guests can literally see the world, home in on their destination city, town or landmark, see where any one of the more than 4,000 IHG branded hotels are located in relation to their travel needs, and book their hotel room directly from the trip planning tool - and all at the same time. IHG's seven hotel brands include InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.

The IHG trip planner tool was developed to enhance the travel planning experience for guests by increasing the ease with which they can make reservations and plan their itineraries prior to arriving at their destination from the comfort of their own home.  The tool enables guests to:

• See local weather conditions and traffic updates,
• See their hotel in 3-D to view and navigate roads around the hotel and beyond, and
• Pinpoint local "places of interest" at their destination.

"Travel today is a bit harder than it used to be and we constantly strive to use technology in unique, but simple, ways that allow us to delight our guests and deliver an improved guest experience even before they arrive at our hotels. Using innovative technology to give guests the ability to see where they are going before they book will make their travels a little bit easier."  says Bryson Koehler, vice president, revenue and guest technology, IHG.

The tool is self-updating and links directly to IHG's reservations system for an accurate booking experience. 

Media Contact:
Carolyn Hergert
IHG
770.604.2329
[email protected]

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Notes to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world’s largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 39 million members worldwide.

IHG has more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 150,000 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 programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media