ATLANTA—As America`s hotel celebrates its 50th birthday, the Holiday Inn(R) brand continues to meet the needs of families by offering innovative ways to make traveling fun for parents and children alike.

Holiday Inn is the place to be this spring and summer for families with kids. Holiday Inn`s original KidSuites(R) rooms and the perennial favorite, Kids Eat and Stay Free, make traveling for families even more fun and affordable than ever before. Additionally, at Holiday Inn`s family-oriented resort locations, Holiday Inn Sunspree(R) Resorts, guests can now book a special Family Fun package.
Families traveling to most Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts this summer can take advantage of a special value-added promotion. The Family Fun package, available through Labor Day, includes standard guest room accommodations, free breakfast for the whole family, a 20 percent discount on one meal in the hotel dining room, free welcome drinks for everyone (either non-alcoholic or alcoholic), two additional free drink coupons (either non-alcoholic or alcoholic), and special Family Fun magazine-certified activities for the children.
“Planning a vacation with activities for the whole family can be exhausting,” said Greg Price, vice president of marketing, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts. “With the Family Fun package, Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts has removed some of the stress from family vacation planning.”

The Family Fun package is being offered at participating Holiday Inn SunSpree properties based on availability and rates will vary by property. Activities, which are supervised for children age three and older, as well as meal discounts, vary by property. Advance booking is required. Visit the Holiday Inn Web site www.sunspreeresorts.com/familyfun for more information or call toll free (888) 633-1724.

Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts can be found in more than 25 locations in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico. The Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts` casual atmosphere and modern facilities make it easy for families to relax and have fun together during their stay. At each resort, families will find activities coordinators who plan recreational activities and events for both adults and children. All resorts feature themed gateway entrances, guest activity desks, sporting activities, and KidSuites.

A Holiday Inn KidSuites room is a room-within-a-room designed just for kids - a special, imaginative, themed environment that keeps children entertained and in their own space. KidSuites rooms give families a room choice that meets everyone`s needs: separate beds and in-room electronic entertainment for the kids, plus privacy that kids and adults both want.

KidSuites rooms can be found at select Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts and Holiday Inn hotels across the country in family-friendly destination locations such as the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts St. Petersburg, FL, Holiday Inn-Anaheim at the Park in Anaheim, CA and the Holiday Inn Family Suites(SM) Resort in Orlando, FL.

“The activities available for families traveling to family-friendly destination locations such as California and Florida are endless,” said Price. “KidSuites rooms not only allow the fun for kids to continue back at the hotel but also give parents their own comfortable space to relax and unwind after a long day of sight-seeing.”

All KidSuites rooms are part of a fully-furnished parents` room and feature one set of bunk beds or two single beds; a 19” color TV and VCR; AM/FM CD player; electronic entertainment system (e.g. Nintendo or Sega); individual speakers and bedside lights for each bunk bed; and an activity table and chairs. KidSuites rooms are whimsically decorated, and some include themed artwork sponsored by Amtrak, The Coca-Cola Corp., SeaWorld and Universal Studios.

The KidSuites concept was originated in 1996 in Lake Buena Vista, FL, by a Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort owner, Terry Whaples. In that first year, seven hotels signed on to offer KidSuites options and today there are more than 1,100 KidSuites rooms in 40 Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels worldwide.

Hailed as the first major change in standard hotel room design in more than 40 years, the KidSuites concept was named as a “best practice” in the lodging industry by a Cornell University study sponsored by the American Hotel Foundation and American Express. In addition, Six Continents Hotels, the franchisor of Holiday Inn hotels, honored the KidSuites concept with its Innovation Award.

And as always, at all Holiday Inn hotels, kids age 12 and under eat free and kids age 19 and under stay free(a). The Kids Eat Free and Kids Stay Free programs are available at all Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts throughout the U.S. and Canada. Kids Eat Free is available for up to four kids per family when dining from the kids menu in hotel restaurants with a paying adult and does not apply to room service. Most hotels in the United States feature the Holiday Inn Menus for Kids(TM), voted “Best Kids Menus in America” for 1999 (Hotels/Resorts/Clubs category) by Restaurant Hospitality. Menu choices include food kids really like, prepared with the same care and the same quality ingredients used at home.

In celebration of the Holiday Inn brand`s 50th birthday, from May-December 2002 hotels will offer a special edition 50th birthday place mat and souvenir cup. In addition, as a special menu item, kids can enjoy a birthday cup cake treat for dessert.

For reservations and more information on locations and the programs mentioned, please call 1-800-HOLIDAY or book online at www.holiday-inn.com.

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