Six Continents Hotels, Inc., the world’s leading global hotel group, which owns, operates or franchises more than 3,200 hotels and over 510,000 guest rooms in close to 100 countries and territories, today announces the Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee. The consumer promise states that every hotel reservation booked directly through a Six Continents? Hotels web site is guaranteed to have the lowest rate publicly available on the Internet for that hotel. If a lower rate is identified within 24 hours on another web site for the same hotel and accommodations, and for the same dates, Six Continents Hotels will honor that rate plus an additional 10 percent discount. The Guarantee is offered for any Six Continents Hotels brand worldwide, including Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites.

“The Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee is unique to the industry, and one that reflects our commitment to preserving the online consumer’s trust in our brands,” said Tom Seddon, senior vice president of strategic services, Six Continents Hotels. “In today’s economy of shrinking budgets, we understand the value of online price-comparisons. But that’s what this iniative is about - restoring guests’ confidence that they will always get the best possible rate when booking directly with us, ultimately instituting their continued return to our brands.”

According to an April 2002 Forrester Research report, travelers prefer booking from brands they know and trust. Only one-fifth of travelers are willing to risk booking with an online consolidator. In addition, 68 percent of U.S. leisure travelers who book hotels online say that their assurance of getting the lowest possible price from a web site will encourage them to continue booking hotel reservations online.

The Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee is one in a series of online initiatives from Six Continents Hotels to secure the confidence of its consumers. Last month, the company launched 21-Day Advance Purchase Rates and last-minute travel deals through Weekend WebSavers. Like the Guarantee, these programs assist travelers in making affordable hotel reservations that maximize their travel budgets.

For more information about the Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee, and for Terms and Conditions, please visit any of the Six Continents Hotels brand web sites or call the Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee Telephone Number: U. S. and Canada - 1-800-447-2981; Europe, Middle East and Africa - call the nearest Toll-Free Worldwide Reservation Office and request to be transferred to Guest Relations (Europe & Israel only); All other countries - Contact the nearest Worldwide Reservation Office.

Each Six Continents Hotels branded web site [Inter-Continental (www.intercontinental.com), Crowne Plaza (www.crowneplaza.com), Holiday Inn (www.holiday-inn.com), Holiday Inn Express (www.hiexpress.com) and Staybridge Suites (www.staybridgesuites.com)] communicates the guarantee on its established page for reservations.

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