HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS^® BRAND INTRODUCES FIRST ALL-BREAKFAST EMOJI KEYBOARD

New BREAKFA-mojis Merge Technology and Art to Make the Most Important Meal of the Day Even Smarter and a Lot More Social

PR Newswire, ATLANTA (November 23, 2015)
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today announces the launch of the Holiday Inn Express^® brand’s all-new BREAKFA-moji keyboard, available for free download via the iTunes App Store and Google Play. The new keyboard, a first of its kind for any hotel brand, features 25 playful breakfast characters, and just like the brand’s Express Start™ breakfast bar, offers something for everyone - from cinnamon rolls and sausage to oatmeal and yogurt, and of course, the brand’s beloved one-touch pancake machine.

Jennifer Gribble, Vice President, Holiday Inn Express^® Brand, Americas, IHG said: “This year, we have been going big on breakfast, and specifically our one-touch pancake machine, which we think is the smartest breakfast gadget out there. With the launch of our new BREAKFA-mojis, we are further integrating breakfast and technology, giving people a fun and creative way to share their love of breakfast and the many delicious choices available at Holiday Inn Express hotels with their friends and family.”

According to the 2015 Emoji Report¹, emojis are the fastest growing language in history, and are used by 92 percent of the online population. Frequent users feel that emojis express their feelings better than words. When it comes to a love of breakfast, the Holiday Inn Express brand believes there is no better way to say “I love pancakes” than through a work of emoji art.

The creation of this innovative breakfast communication device is the latest contribution from the brand’s Creative Director and Breakfast Excellence Honcho, actor/comedian Rob Riggle. In his role, Riggle helped develop the concept for the new BREAKFA-mojis, created a series of unique breakfast combinations and is sharing a new creatively named combination every day via social media. Some of Rob’s personal favorites include:

• The Paleo-No-You-Didn’t - Bacon and Eggs…with Extra Bacon and Eggs

The Paleo-No-You-Didn’t

• The Executive - Cinnamon Roll, Yogurt and Toast

The Executive

• Oats & Protes - Oatmeal, Bacon, Sausage and Hard-Boiled Egg

Oats & Protes

Holiday Inn Express guests and breakfast fans everywhere are encouraged to visit the brand on Twitter or Facebook to discover the latest mouthwatering BREAKFA-moji combinations and share creative breakfast mash-up ideas of their own.

How to Install BREAKFA-moji:

Download the App via iTunes App Store or Google Play

Open app and follow prompt

Integrate the keyboard via the Settings in your phone

Go to Settings menu and choose General
Select Keyboard, then Keyboards
Select Add New Keyboard
Select BREAKFA-moji
Tap BREAKFA-moji again
Switch ON for Allow Full Access

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About the Holiday Inn Express^® brand

Holiday Inn Express^® hotels are modern hotels for value-oriented travelers. Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers. Guests Stay Smart^® at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free hot Express Start™ breakfast bar with new healthier offerings, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls (U.S. and Canada only). There are currently over 2,400 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, visit www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress . Find us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/hiexpress or Facebook www.Facebook.com/holidayinnexpress.

Notes to Editors:

IHG^® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LSE:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental^® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton^® Hotels & Restaurants, HUALUXE^® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza^® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo^®, EVEN™ Hotels, Holiday Inn^® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express^®, Staybridge Suites^® and Candlewood Suites^®.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 4,900 hotels and 727,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries, with more than 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG^® Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with more than 90 million 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.ihg.com/media and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihgand www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

¹ Emogi Research Team, 2015 Emogi Report, September 2015