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 InterContinental Hotels Group Claims 21 million Members
in its Priority Club® Rewards; Launched in 1983,
Was the Hotel Industry�s First Loyalty Programme

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SINGAPORE (28 JULY 2004) � Priority Club® Rewards, the customer loyalty programme of InterContinental Hotels Group, today announced it has enrolled more than 21 million members to become the world�s largest hotel loyalty programme, surpassing Marriott Rewards in total number of members.

�This is a fantastic achievement � we now have 21 million guests who frequently stay at InterContinental Hotels Group�s 3,500 hotels worldwide. It is indeed an honour that Priority Club Rewards is the choice programme for 21 million travellers and this serves to affirm our strategy to constantly bring value to our guests,� said Mr A. Patrick Imbardelli, Managing Director, InterContinental Hotels Group, Asia Pacific.

Launched in the United States in 1983, Priority Club Rewards was the hotel industry�s first loyalty programme, and allows members to accumulate loyalty points and instant benefits at InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites hotels and resorts around the world.  Priority Club Rewards recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in Asia Pacific, and today there are more than one million Priority Club Rewards members throughout the Asia Pacific region. 

�This is indeed a significant milestone for us - especially when you consider that we�ve doubled the programme�s global membership since 2001. Priority Club Rewards� unique features and distinctive offerings have made it a favourite among frequent travellers because we have based the programme on their needs and wants,� said InterContinental Hotels Group Director, Loyalty Marketing Asia Pacific, Ms Julia Wong.

For example, Priority Club Rewards was the first hotel loyalty programme in the world to allow members to instantly redeem points over the phone or on-line.  It is also the only hotel programme to feature a �no point expiration� policy, in addition to allowing members to transfer points or purchase additional points.

Priority Club Rewards also recently made significant improvements to ensure greater value and recognition for its top members.  This included lowering the requirements for reaching Gold elite status from 20 nights to 15, and from 60 nights to 50 for Platinum level over a calendar period.  Platinum members also receive 50% bonus points every time they stay (up from 30%), are guaranteed a room when they book at least 72 hours in advance, and are subject to priority room upgrades at check-in.

In addition to continually adding innovative partners and benefits to the programme, members are regularly offered incentives like this summer�s double points campaign at all InterContinental Hotels Group hotels in which guests receive double points when they stay before 31 August. 

With 21 million members worldwide, Priority Club Rewards now has more members than the entire population of Australia!  To put this figure into even more perspective, consider the following:

  • In the last four years alone, Priority Club Rewards members have recorded more than 115 million nights away from home in IHG hotels, the collective equivalent of 315,068 years on the road.
  • During that same period, members have redeemed 50 billion Priority Club Rewards points worth more than $340 million in free hotel nights, brand name merchandise and retail certificates.  Members who choose to collect airline frequent flyer miles through the programme have also earned nearly three billion frequent flyer miles since 2000, enough for roughly 120,000 round trip tickets on most major airlines.
  • If every Priority Club Rewards member held hands and stood next to each other, the line would stretch for 36,938 kilometres, or nearly all the way around the world.
Besides having the most members, Priority Club Rewards also offers the largest collection of programme rewards in the industry, including free nights at each of its hotel properties, frequent flyer miles for over 40 airlines worldwide and a vast selection of brand name merchandise and retail certificates. Priority Club Rewards features the hotel industry�s only personal shopper programme, which allows programme members to completely customize their award selection.

Recently, the programme topped the 2004 Freddie Awards, the most prestigious consumer-generated awards in the travel industry, with wins in 14 out of 16 award categories including Best Bonus Promotion and Best Newsletter. Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. 

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world�s most global hotel company and the largest by number of rooms.  InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 3,500 hotels and 535,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world.


 
Contact:
Audrey Tan
Manager, Marketing Communications, Loyalty Marketing
InterContinental Hotels Group, Asia Pacific
Tel: 65 6395 6115
Email: [email protected]
www.priorityclub.com
Also See: Cendant Franchisees Learn How Customer Loyalty Program Will Drive Business / October 2003
InterContinental Hotels Offering Current and Prospective Franchisees a Multi-brand Marketing Platform / January 2004


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