ATLANTA, May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Holiday
Inn®, an InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) hotel, will
host a collection of new experiences crafted specifically for
families during its first ever "Summer of Smiles" program.
Beginning in June, select Holiday Inn hotels will host on-property
events through the brand's new collaboration with Scholastic to
help keep kids reading all summer long. Events also include
Chocolate Milk Happy Hours in partnership with fairlife®
ultra-filtered milk and Otis Spunkmeyer® baked goods.
The "Summer of Smiles" program brings to life the Holiday Inn
brand's new Smiles Ahead campaign, which celebrates how the
brand delivers the joy of travel to all through an unparalleled
service culture.
The multimillion dollar television, digital and experiential
Smiles Ahead marketing campaign launched in April. The
campaign underscores the brand's priority and personal promise to
go above and beyond to make guests' stays even more memorable than
expected, and the "Summer of Smiles" program is an in-hotel
extension of the campaign designed to make both parents and kids
smile.
Actor Gaten Matarazzo, best known
for his role as Dustin Henderson on
the Netflix show "Stranger Things," will serve as the Holiday Inn
brand's Kid Ambassador throughout the summer – showcasing how
Holiday Inn hotels are kid endorsed and parent approved. Matarazzo
will host one of the brand's in-hotel "Summer of Smiles" events,
where he will mingle and interact with guests, and will help bring
the program to life across social media, showing his fans and
followers the little thoughtful touches they can only get at
Holiday Inn hotels. Matarazzo started his career in theatre,
starring in "Priscilla Queen of the
Desert" and "Les Misérables." At only 14 years old, he has added an
MTV Award for 'Show of the Year' ("Stranger Things") and the 2017
SAG Award for 'Best Ensemble in a Drama Series' ("Stranger Things")
to his impressive and rapidly growing resume.
Scholastic Events
Character Breakfasts
The
Holiday Inn brand has teamed up with Scholastic, the world's
largest publisher and distributor of children's books, to put
smiles on kids' faces – one good book at a time. From June –
August, select Holiday Inn hotels will invite kids to breakfast
with popular Scholastic book characters Clifford the Big Red Dog®
and Geronimo Stilton, and gift them a Scholastic book at check-in
the week of the event. Kids can meet and take pictures with their
favorite characters, keeping them smiling about reading while on
the road this summer. Kids will also receive a take-home frame to
display their character photo and can take part in fun craft
activities during the breakfast. For a list of participating
Holiday Inn hotels and event dates, visit
HolidayInn.com/smilesahead.
Total Solar Eclipse Viewing
Party
On Aug. 21, the Holiday
Inn Nashville-Vanderbilt hotel and Scholastic will provide guests
with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch the first total
solar eclipse in America in nearly 100 years. The hotel is along
the eclipse totality line, providing families with the optimal view
of this rare celestial occurrence. Kids and parents alike will
learn about space with the "Magic School Bus Presents: Our Solar
System" book while cherishing this unforgettable moment together.
Guests will also receive a special pair of eclipse-viewing glasses
and have the opportunity to meet two Scholastic characters. The
solar eclipse viewing party is complimentary for hotel guests. For
bookings, click here.
Lending Library
From
June – August, select Holiday Inn hotels will offer a Scholastic
lending library where kids can borrow a book to read during their
stay. Parents who are away from home on business can also borrow a
book to read their kids a virtual bedtime story. Participating
hotels will lend traveling parents a stand for their smartphone or
tablet so they can read hands-free to their little ones at home.
For a list of participating Holiday Inn hotels, visit
HolidayInn.com/smilesahead.
Chocolate Milk Happy Hour
This summer, Holiday Inn
hotels will offer parents and kids an unforgettable take on a
classic afternoon snack. In June, select hotels will host a
complimentary Chocolate Milk Happy Hour featuring indulgences both
parents and kids can feel good about. Guests will have the
opportunity to enjoy fairlife® ultra-filtered milk,
which has 50 percent more protein and 50 percent less sugar than
ordinary milk - and is lactose free - and the new Delicious
Essentials™ cookies from Otis Spunkmeyer®,
which are made with 51 percent whole grain. Chocolate Milk Happy
Hour days and times vary by location. For a list of participating
Holiday Inn hotels, visit HolidayInn.com/smilesahead.
Eric Lent, Vice President,
Full Service Hotels & Food and Beverage Solutions, The
Americas said: "Nothing puts a smile on kids' faces like
summertime, and we want all of our guests to feel that same sense
of joy when they visit our hotels this summer. We're going above
and beyond to celebrate even more of those unforgettable moments
that truly put the joy in travel and leave a positive lasting
impact on our guests. The beloved characters and popular books from
Scholastic combined with fairlife and Otis
Spunkmeyer's nutritious, yet delicious, treats have helped
us create a unique and fun summer program that will create
life-long memories for both kids and parents alike."
Follow along with the Holiday Inn brand's "Summer of Smiles"
program on Facebook and on the brand's blog, Joy of Travel,
at joyoftravel.holidayinn.com.
About the Holiday Inn® Brand
The Holiday Inn® brand, which offers nearly 1,250
hotels and resorts worldwide, has helped millions of travelers
discover the joy of travel since its inception in 1952. Designed to
meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers, Holiday Inn
hotels deliver memorable experiences through warm and welcoming
service, contemporary design that blends the familiar with the new,
and a sense of comfort unique to the brand and its iconic green
sign. At Holiday Inn hotels, guests can find amenities to help them
work and play, including full-service restaurants where Kids Eat
Free, meeting and business facilities, bright swimming pools and
comfortable lounges all designed to help guests relax and refresh,
making travel more enjoyable for all. For more information about
the Holiday Inn brand, visit www.holidayinn.com or call
1-888-HOLIDAY. Find us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/holidayinn
or Facebook www.Facebook.com/holidayinnhotels.
About IHG®
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)]
is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands,
including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels
& Restaurants, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE® Hotels and
Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels
& Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and
Candlewood Suites®.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 5,200 hotels and
770,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with nearly 1,500
hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards
Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty programme, with
more than 100 million enrolled members worldwide.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company
and is incorporated in Great
Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 350,000 people work across
IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.
Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and
www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest
news, visit: www.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at:
www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg and
www.youtube.com/ihgplc.
About fairlife, LLC
fairlife, LLC is a health and
wellness dairy company that produces and markets premium-quality,
value-added, great tasting milk products – from farmers who
share your values – crafted into real food nutrition that provides
you with the vitality you need to live a fulfilled
life. fairlife, LLC's patented cold filtration process filters
milk to increase natural protein and minerals and decrease lactose
and sugar. In 2012, Select Milk Producers entered into a
partnership with The Coca-Cola Company to form fairlife, LLC.
The Coca-Cola Company is the distribution partner for the products
that fairlife, LLC, creates, market and sells. fairlife,
LLC owns and operates its own state-of-the-art plant in
Michigan. fairlife,
LLC, produces fairlife ultra-filtered milk, a high
protein, reduced sugar great-tasting milk for the whole family;
Core Power, a high protein milkshake for athletes and fitness
enthusiasts; fairlife Superkids, a DHA Omega-3 rich milk
for growing minds and bodies; fairlife Smart Milkshakes,
a treat with protein, antioxidants and fiber; and YUP!, a delicious
line of flavored milks. For more information,
visit http://fairlife.com, http://www.yupmilk.com/ and http://corepower.com.
About Otis Spunkmeyer
Otis Spunkmeyer®, an ARYZTA® brand, has been a pioneer in the
fresh-baked cookie business and a leader in the sweet baked goods
industry for 40 years. Otis
Spunkmeyer began in 1977 as a California chain of retail cookie stores, and
soon expanded its business to foodservice operators, offering a
fresh-baked cookie program complete with ovens and merchandising
tools. As the #1 selling foodservice cookie dough in America, in
2016 Otis Spunkmeyer took their famous cookies, along with 20 new
delicious sweet treats, and launched into retail.
ARYZTA is a global company with a leadership position in
specialty frozen bakery. Formed from leading bakery companies
around the world, its innovative food portfolio includes breads,
artisan breads, cookies, donuts, pastries, cakes, muffins, buns,
pizza, flatbreads from beloved brands like La Brea Bakery®, Otis
Spunkmeyer®, Oakrun Farm Bakery®, Big Texas®, Cloverhill® and
more. To learn more, visit www.aryztaamericas.com and follow
us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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SOURCE IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)