InterContinental Hotels Group, the world’s largest and most global hotel company,
today announced that Franchise Times magazine ranked three of its hotel
brands in the top 75 U.S. franchises for the second consecutive year. 
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) franchises ranked as follows: the
Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts franchise ranked 14, the Holiday Inn Express
franchise ranked 39 and the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts franchise
ranked 75. The magazine’s Top 200 list is based on system-wide sales and
units, and is considered to be the franchise industry’s gold standard.

Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express rankings improved
year-over-year with Holiday Inn Express seeing the most significant
change.  Holiday Inn Express moved from number 47 (2003 ranking) to
number 39 (2004 ranking) on this year’s list.

“These rankings continue to solidify IHG’s position as one of the leading
hotel franchise companies in the world with some of the best in class
collaborative franchise practices and strongest brands in the industry,” said
Kirk Kinsell, SVP, Americas Franchise and Business Development, IHG.

IHG’s integrated approach helps unify marketing initiatives so that hotels
benefit from each others efforts and learn from each other—while keeping
the brands distinct and differentiated to their customer segments. This is
done by offering current and prospective franchisees a multi-brand
marketing platform comprised of its Enterprise Values - technology, global
reservations centers, global sales, performance support, and Priority Club®
Rewards; as well as, fostering a collaborative, Together We’re Stronger
relationship with its hotel owners.

With more than 3,500 hotels and over 538,000 guest rooms, IHG has an
established international brand-name property to suit every guest’s service,
amenity and lodging need. The IHG family contains some of the most widely
recognized hotel brands in the industry including: InterContinental Hotels &
Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts,
Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Hotel
Indigo hotels.

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