Premium Travelers Name InterContinental Hotels Group Best in Two Categories Global Traveler Readers have Picked IHG as the Top Domestic Chain and the

(PRWeb) January 21, 2007 -- Global Traveler is pleased to announce that InterContinental Hotels Group has won the GT Tested Award for Best Domestic Hotel Chain and Best Hotel Rewards Program (Priority Club Rewards). IHG was awarded this honor by Global Traveler readers who participated in a survey that ran in the magazine from February 2006 to August 2006.

The company will be recognized at an awards luncheon on January 23, 2007 at the Jumeirah Essex House in New York City. Francis X. Gallagher, publisher and CEO of Global Traveler, will honor the winners at the gala ceremony, accompanied by Cynthia Nixon, star of Sex and the City. Nixon will speak to attendees on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

"The awards luncheon is a celebration of the accomplishments of all our award winners," Gallagher said. "Our readers have recognized them as the cream of the crop; however, this luncheon also reminds all of us that it's time to give back. By benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we have the opportunity to help and celebrate personal good fortune by helping those hindered by misfortune. However, I do want to congratulate all of our winners for their achievements in the world of travel and the work they do that puts them a step ahead of the competition."

"It is an honor for us to receive such recognition from a publication as well respected as Global Traveler. But, most importantly, it's the recognition of your readers - the world's most frequent travelers - that matters most to us as a measure of true success. This award shows that our effort to put our members at the center of everything we do is working and that we're building unrivaled loyalty with out most frequent guests," said Steve Sickel, senior vice president, Multibrand and Relationship Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Groups.

For a complete list of winners and to read the full awards article, visit www.globaltravelerusa.com.

About the Survey
Global Traveler conducted the third annual survey of its readers from February 1, 2006 to August 31, 2006, with open-ended questions for the best in 42 categories of business and luxury travel. A total of 13,653 completed questionnaires were received. The questionnaires were made available as a six-page insert in subscriber copies of the magazine and online at the Global Traveler website www.globaltravelerusa.com/readersurvey. Only those questionnaires in which more than 50 percent of the questions were completed were counted; those answering fewer than 50 percent of the questions were discarded. Responses also were screened for duplication. Members of the travel industry and employees of FXExpress Publications were not allowed to participate.

Survey respondents spent a mean number of 61 nights last year on international business trips and 76 nights on domestic business trips.

They took an average of 18 international flights and 21 domestic flights per person during that period. Of all respondents, 76 percent were male and 24 percent were female; average age was 45.

About Priority Club Rewards
With more than 30 million members, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)'s Priority Club Rewards is the first, largest, and fastest growing guest loyalty program in the hotel industry. Priority Club Rewards offers more sought-after benefits and the greatest ease of use of any hotel loyalty program. In addition to such flexible features as No Points Expiration and No Blackout Dates, Priority Club Rewards members have more options for points redemption than any other hotel loyalty program, including redemption at more than 500,000 lodging establishments worldwide - even at rivals' hotels - through the industry-leading "Any Hotel Anywhere" reward. In addition to hotel nights, members can redeem their points for airline miles on more than 40 partner airlines, for auto rentals, for gift certificates and for hundreds of products available in the rewards catalog. And Priority Club Rewards is the only hotel loyalty program to offer members a Personal Shopper program that allows members to exchange points for items not found in the rewards catalog. Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG's 3,650 hotels worldwide.

About Global Traveler
A business travel publication that takes into account the sophisticated lifestyle interests of today's executive travelers, Global Traveler is the publication of choice among seasoned business travelers. Circulated nationally, Global Traveler is the only ABC-audited American magazine for the international business traveler, with ABC paid circulation of 60,055. The magazine has increased its frequency to12 issues per year, effective with the January 2007 issue.

###