02 September 2021

Q&A: Meet our EPIC Winner, Sherita!

Epic winner
Get to know Sherita Rankins from Texas, the winner of IHG’s EPIC giveaway!

Sherita Rankins is building a brand and lifting women up along the way. The lifestyle blogger is a big advocate of women carving their own path. And for Rankins, world travel is a huge part of her own journey. This year, she took her love of travel and creativity to new heights, entering and winning IHG Hotels & Resorts’ EPIC giveaway, which gifted her with 365 days' worth of hotel rooms around the world and immediate IHG Rewards Spire Elite status.

Get to know Sherita and what her plans are for this win of a lifetime!

What made you want to enter IHG’s Epic Vacation giveaway?

I'm a true travel fanatic. I'm always looking for travel deals online even if I don't have any trips planned. I'm always looking for travel deals online even if I don't have any trips planned. So, when the contest was shared with me it was so perfect and right up my alley. And when I read the details it just seemed like the chance of a lifetime. I mean, who gives away 365 days of hotel stays?!

What was the inspiration behind your video submissions?

The first video I shot – that was me saying, let me show you how pitiful I am right now. The opening scene summed up 2020 – and to be honest I still live in that robe. I thought – how I can get myself back into a travel mode and show IHG how much I want this!

After I posted it, I saw that people were submitting multiple videos. With the second one, I thought – I need to really create something here. What if I made a video taking my “robe life” into what this vacation would look like? I was inspired by Cinderella – doing all the work around the house and decided that a pool transition would really make this video stand out. It took some planning with the before and after to get the transition just right and after some trial and error, it came it just as I envisioned. 

What IHG hotels and destinations are you most excited to visit?

Oh my god – so many! This is a loaded question, there are so many options I started a spread sheet. I want to go to Dubai, to the Maldives, South America, the new InterContinental in Rome, and the Kimpton Seafire in the Cayman Islands looks amazing. I just found a property in South Africa that does safaris, I’m trying to hit as many places as possible.

Hotel indigo dubai downtown lobby seating area
Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa
Kimpton seafire resort
Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown

What do you hope to learn and share from this experience?

My whole brand is about helping women live their best lives. I approach life in a holistic way, and I hope my travel inspires others to go out and try whatever they have always wanted to do. People often tell me that they live vicariously through me, and they don’t have to! You can do this – I want women to feel empowered when I share my experiences and know that it’s okay to do something for of themselves.

For myself, every trip leaves me a little more open, a little more empathetic. Traveling really does open minds and hearts.

Who will you take with you on some of your trips to IHG properties?

My mom and I love to take spa trips, so one of those will be planned and she will come along for all the holidays too.

My dear friends who I know haven't had a chance to travel – I'm definitely going to reach out to them for some girls' trips.

I've also never had the opportunity to travel solo, so I might do my own rendition of Eat, Pray, Love over the next year. 

What are some things you have learned from your travels?

When I travel, I think about how I can immerse myself in the culture as much as I can while still being respectful. I try to have an open mind and I’ve found that no matter where you are, you can find ways to connect with people. One thing for me is that I try to use the native language as much as possible even if I can't speak a lot of it. I'll learn a few phrases such as good morning, please, thank you and you’re welcome. When you can at least say thank you, it goes a long way, and it shows respect.

What do you love about hotels?

Oh man – everything. The welcoming feeling, a suite with a sunken bath, and crisp sheets. I find when I check into a hotel it can be a magical experience and getting a hotel upgrade is the icing on the cake. A great hotel allows you to rest and recharge, so you can wake up excited to experience your destination and the adventures that await you.

Name a few things you absolutely can't travel without.

Silk Eye Mask. I wear it on planes and at hotels while sleeping.

DSLR camera and laptop

Bug spray + cortisone

Skincare + makeup is a must

Sunglasses

How can people follow your journey?

On Instagram @sheritajanielle and my website, BusyWifeBusyLife.com. I will be creating travel guides for many of the destinations!

Click here learn more about IHG Hotels & Resorts and to become an IHG Rewards member.

Ends

About IHG®

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline. 

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