Holiday Inn Sets Out on the Ultimate Baseball Road Trip

. October 14, 2008

ATLANTA, GA, July 18, 2006. Mobile tour, interactive Web site and Ultimate Road Trip Sweeps provide baseball fanatics opportunities to connect with their favorite sport and each other. Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts hits the road today for the Holiday Inn Ultimate Baseball Road Trip, visiting more than 25 Major League Baseball stadiums across the country.

Holiday Inn invites baseball fans to get on board when the Big Green Bus comes to their town loaded with games, prizes and unique Major League Baseball displays. The 45-foot mobile coach is designed to be the perfect pre- and post-game meeting spot for true baseball fanatics as it stops at ballparks and Holiday Inn hotels along its journey from Detroit to Los Angeles.

"Baseball is a sport known for its hard core fans who center their lives and travel plans around their favorite teams' schedules," said Mark Snyder, senior vice president of Brand Management for Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts in the Americas. "At Holiday Inn, we understand their passion - we're fans, too. As the Official Hotel of Major League Baseball, Holiday Inn is committed to providing a safe-haven for these fanatics and will help establish a community where they are free to be themselves. This road trip is a step in the right direction, but we must do more."

Ultimate Road Trip Blog

Fans unable to physically follow the Holiday Inn Ultimate Baseball Road trip can still be a part of it virtually by tracking the tour on the blog (blog.roadtripfans.com) featuring Emmy Award winning MLB play-by-play announcer Joe Buck. The blog enables baseball fanatics to connect and share stories about their baseball road trips, get travel tips from other fans, view photos and track the progress of the Holiday Inn Ultimate Road Trip. Fans also can vote for and debate who they think should be declared the Major League Baseball "Look Again Player of the Year."

Ultimate Baseball Fanatic Road Trip Sweepstakes

At the end of Holiday Inn's journey, one fanatic will be awarded an opportunity of a lifetime. The winning fan gets to customize his or her ultimate baseball road trip that includes two tickets to every single Major League Baseball stadium in the country. The trip also includes accommodations and travel provided by Holiday Inn and its loyalty program Priority Club Rewards. The winner chooses when to go, how long to stay, where to stay and how to get there. The sweepstakes kicks-off July 17 at the first tour stop and runs through October 31.

"We know that a trip is not just about where you stay - it is about the experience you have," said Steve Sickel, Senior Vice President, Multibrand and Relationship Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group. "Priority Club Rewards wants to facilitate unique once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our members, and the Ultimate Baseball Road Trip is one way we are doing that," he added. "In addition, all of our members have the opportunity to create experiences of their own by tapping into Priority Club Rewards' unique, vast resources like our online auction at priorityclub.com/mlbauction ."

Holiday Inn Ultimate Road Trip Stops

o Detroit: Monday, July 17

o Toronto: Friday, July 21 - Sunday, July 23

o Minneapolis: Saturday, July 29 - Monday, July 31

o Cincinnati: Friday, August 4 - Sunday, August 6

o Atlanta: Friday, August 11 - Sunday, August 13

o DC: Thursday, August 17 - Friday, August 18

o Baltimore: Saturday, August 19 - Saturday, August 20

o Chicago: Thursday, August 24 - Sunday, August 27

o Houston: Friday, September 1 - Sunday, September 3

o Colorado: Friday, September 8 - Sunday, September 10

o Los Angeles: Friday, September 15 - Sunday, September