ATLANTA--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(TM) 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 initiative 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 (), Crowne Plaza (www.crowneplaza.com), Holiday Inn (www.holiday-inn.com), Holiday Inn Express () and Staybridge Suites ()) communicates the guarantee on its established page for reservations.

Notes to Editors:

Guarantee does not include rates that have been negotiated by the hotel with corporations or travel agencies; only publicly available rates apply.

Guarantee does not include websites or rates where the hotel brand and specific hotel are not known until the booking is made. Guarantee does not include websites or rates that "package" travel, entertainment, hotel, and/or food components such as airfare + hotel stay, hotel stay + car hire, hotel stay + restaurant voucher or similar packages under a single "bundled" price.

If people book a room through the "Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee" search on any Six Continents Hotels website and then, on the same day, find a lower rate that is viewable and bookable on another website for the same hotel and accommodation, and for the same dates, and advise Six Continents Hotels within 24 hours of booking the room, Six Continents Hotels will honour that rate for the nights for which the lower rate was found, plus give an additional 10 per cent discount off that rate upon verification. Rooms on other websites must be publicly available and bookable on the Internet at the time of verification.

Six Continents(TM) Hotels, the hotel business of Six Continents PLC of the United Kingdom (LSE:SXC)SXC, owns, manages, leases or franchises more than 3,260 hotels and 514,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories.

The following are some of the service marks owned by Six Continents Hotels, Inc., its subsidiaries or affiliates: Holiday Inn®, Crowne Plaza®, Express by Holiday Inn(TM), Holiday Inn Select®, Holiday Inn Garden Court®, Holiday Inn SunSpree® Resort, Staybridge Suites® by Holiday Inn, Holidex®, Priority Club®, Inter-Continental®, Forum®, Parkroyal®, and Centra®.

Six Continents Club®, Six Continents(TM), and 6 Continents(TM) are service marks of Six Continents PLC and used under license.

Six Continents Hotels, Inc. offers information and reservations capability on the Internet - www.sixcontinentshotels.com, for Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts, www.crowneplaza.com for Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, www.holiday-inn.com for Holiday Inn hotels, for Express by Holiday Inn hotels, www.staybridge.com for Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn, and www.priorityclub.com.

For the latest news from Six Continents Hotels, visit our online Press Office at .

Autumn Murray
770/604-5363
IHG