Great News! As an employee of InterContinental Hotels Group, I've enrolled in the IHG Friends and Family program and am now able to offer you discounted hotel stays. As a friend, you now have access to special hotel rates only available to friends and family of IHG employees! You can now enjoy special rates at over 4,100 IHG hotels worldwide for any reservation made between now and May 31st 2009 for bookings made up to one year in advance of stay. Information and rules for booking the rate are available on the program web site accessible through the link below.


Getting started is easy:

•Click on the link to enter the exclusive booking site

•Book a Friends & Family rate by May 31, 2009 at any of the over 4,100 IHG hotels anywhere in the world - including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza , Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites hotels.

•Download the voucher - which you must present at check-in

•Enjoy your trip!

*The Friends and Family rate is only available through the link in this email. You must use the link provided to make your reservation or you will not get the discount.Feel free to share this with other friends, but if you forward the email to anyone else, please make sure they know to use the link to get the discount.

Have fun traveling!

Thanks, Denise! Have no immediate travel plans, but will bookmark your link.

Hi Kathy,

Sorry you are unable to take advantage; however, travel plans don't need to be immediate. You can put together a trip for next year and book hotels by May 31, 2009, for stays through May 31, 2010.

There are some remarkable rates being offered at some incredible properties. This is a very rare offering from IHG. By the end of next month, the only way to obtain a Friends and Family rate is directly through an IHG employee.

It's a great offer and I have had lots of "takers."

Denise, thanks again for sharing the IHG friends and family program with us...we are using an IHG Hotel in Munich during Octoberfest this September..we will toast a liter of German beer to Alan and you...r/wes

I assume a case of German beer will be sent my way, yes???

Apparently anyone can join this program. Are your benefits above and beyond what is being offered through their website?

Incorrect.

This is a program through my employer, Travelcat. This is NOT available to anyone; only IHG employees may set up a Friends and Family link. This is an employee benefit that I was able to make available and, therefore, posted on this site as a courtesy to LCT members who travel extensively. Nothing in it for me. Something for LCTers who travel and want to save some money when booking hotels.

I am an IHG employee. I think you might want to go back and read what's stated in the link for further clarification.

You'd be amazed at how many people on LCT write, asking me to get them a hotel discount. This limited program takes me out as a "middleman" and allows those I want to access the Friends and Family rate the ability to do so without my intervening for a very limited time.

Please don't be a spoiler, TC. How else would most of us know about this? Whatever the rules are, I would be happy to use Denise's offer. Once, years ago, for an lct "reunion", we had already become on-line friends, and I got same discount because of her personal invitation for this (not solicited or called for), and a wonderful "welcome basket" in the room. "Her" hotel in LA was wonderful for this occasion.

Editing to say that I wrote this before Denise's reply.

Denise,

Do ya'll prefer a hefeweiss, a Spaten Octoberfest, or possibly a Paulaner Salvator
Doppel Bock?

r/wes

Thanks, Olivia.

I hope in your travels you can take advantage of this remarkable offer. You know how hard I work to try and get discounts for friends, first hand. Discounts through IHG don't come easy. This is a very limited time deal for those who choose to take advantage of it.

I'm not a beer drinker, Wes. But, Alan loves great German beer. Anything will do, as long as it's German and wet!

Thanks!

Denise you are the best! Thanks so much - Joanna

Thanks Denise, what a nice thing for you to do.

Thanks again Denise - we got a great F&F rate at the IC at OHare on our way back from VIKING. Now I only wish they had properties in Oslo for our June trip.

Thanks Denise...you're the best!

Nancy

Denise, Thanks for sharing with your LCT friends.

You're all very welcome.

I'm able to log in to my personal account and see who has booked and the properties you've booked.

WOW! Several of you jumped right in last night and very early this morning!

I wish we had a property in Oslo, Leslie. After emailing you the other day, I looked. Nada.

Denise - clarification question, if I read the rules right, you can only book thru May of next year, correct? We are thinking of one night in Athens before TUT in Oct 2010, and I notice that they have of course the IC Atheneam which we stayed at last year, as well a Crown Plaza, so was just thinking ahead.

Hi Denise,

Thank you for sharing with us!

TC, I don't know what you are referring to. I just checked the website for the Intercontinental De La Ville in Rome. Their cheapest rate is 50% higher that what I can get through the promotion Denise is posting. I didn't see anything similar available to the general public.

Denise, again, thank you! We might be able to use this offer on our upcoming trip to Italy this summer.

JoAnn,

You're correct. You can book for stays through May 2010. Therefore, a stay in Oct. 2010 would, unfortunately, not qualify for this.

Thanks, Maria. Only those employed by IHG can offer this to Friends/Family, through a personal IHG corporate link set up by the employee. You, or anyone else, not employed through IHG, would be unable to get these rates. The ability to offer this is only through an IHG employee. I work for IHG and am, therefore, able to share this for a very limited time.

IHG implemented this limited time program to build occupancies in a very challenging economy. Friends/Family rates are extremely hard to come by in better times, as some of you know when you've asked me previously to help you out.

If you can book now for stays through May 2010, you're getting some incredible deals on some of the finest properties in the world. Booking ends May 31, 2009. When it's over, it's over, unless they should extend it, which I seriously doubt they will.

Editing to add - Stays booked through this are pre-paid, non-refundable.

The De Ville in Roma is a beautiful property, ideally located by the Spanish Steps. We stayed there several years ago and it was wonderful.

I have the ability to see who has booked and where. Many of you have all ready taken advantage of some great deals!

How sweet of you to do this for us, Denise! :hug:

Denise, thanks a lot for this great offer. We'll probably book something in Sydney this fall. Really appreciate your thoughtfulness!

Using this for Dragon.

Denise,

This is so nice of you! Thanks! Len and I checked a few properties yesterday and there are some excellent values. We had cancelled a trip to Bangkok last fall but are thinking about putting it back on the calendar for December. There are amazing prices available for club suites at the IC Bangkok.

Thanks for letting us know about this!

Andrea

Thanks Denise

Thank you Denise! Unfortunately I'm with Joanne and out of the booking window. The InterContinental de la Ville is on my short list for Rome hotels post TUT. This would have made a sweet ending to our Oct., 2010 cruise.

Denise, thank you so much for being such a great friend!

I just made a rez for early May at London Forum, which is well located near Gloucester Road Tube Station, served by Piccadilly, Central and District lines.

Denise:

I have a very naive question, but I need to ask it before I can take advantage of your generous offer (for which I thank you).

I have the Regent prices for the Hong Kong Intercontinental for DRAGON. The prices through your voucher are substantially less, but since I am travelling alone (with lots of luggage) does the IC have a service for airport pickup and transfer to the ship?

Susan

I am really gratified to see such a great response.

JoAnn and Suzie, Should this opportunity be extended, I will let you all know, so you may book further out. It's anybody's guess as to whether or not IHG will extend this rare opportunity to obtain F&F rates as discounted as they are. I've worked with IHG for some time now and this is really unprecidented.

Susan, Not a naive question at all. I would send the InterCon in Hong Kong an email and inquire of their airport services. I am certain they will answer your question and can arrange a driver for you. Here is their email, which I just looked up for you

hongkong@interconti.com

Unless you mean InterCon Hong Kong - Grand Stanford. I don't see an email address listed for them. You may want to go on their site and check. This property, however, does give charges for airport shuttle, taxi, etc. on their site.

Good luck. Let us know once you've heard back. You may want to put that email to the attention of either Concierge or Guest Services Manager, in the subject line.


Ted, I hope you have a great stay in London! Report back, please. It really pleases me to hear about the IHG properties all over the world.

I am enjoying hearing about everyone's great good fortune for booking IHG thanks to Denise!!!

Thanks Denise appreciate knowing that you will let us know if something happens for next year.

We are seriously considering the Crown Plaza San Pedro for one night before our little Princess 7 day mexican riviera cruise in Sept and if we decide to do that will definitely book before end of May, as I checked the rates today and they are really good.

Again I say, thank you for doing that for us, that was really a nice thing and so sweet of you to offer that.

Denise I don't think we will be able to use your generous special this time, but it was very kind of you to post this for all of us!

If we were going to utilize the offer I'd be sending tons of egg salad sandwiches your way with a nice bottle of cheap red wine (like we served on TUSH) as a thank you! :hug:

Thanks for sharing this with us Denise.

JoAnn, the rates in San Pedro loook great. Tom.

They do don't they? So are you guys coming on Friday night? And/or staying over at the end?

Susan - you will love the IC in Hong Kong! I think they have a couple of Rolls Royces parked out front at the ready for airport transfers.

Thanks for the generous offer.

Hi JoAnn. Mona wants to arrive on Friday so we'll need a hotel. I'm not sure what we'll do after the cruise. Perhaps we'll go to Las Vegas for a few days. I don't have to be back to work until Wednesday. Tom.

Denise was nice enough to get us a suite in Istanbul for 4 nights a few years ago. I think she booked us a room and they ungraded us to the most beautiful suite we have ever stayed in. I am sure it was done as a courtesy to Denise because she is an employee. The rate she got us was unbeliveable for what we got. She did not get anything out of this booking. It was strickly a lovely thing to do and we will always appreciate it and remember her for the way she goes out of her way for us. She is also a remarkable researcher for guides and places not to miss all over Europe.
Oh, Tom G. By all means come to Vegas. The rooms are super cheap now and most every hotel has specials on rooms, entertainment and dining. And the weather is beautiful now.
We head for Scottsdale this week for John's 6 month check-up at Mayo Clinic.

Wow - Denise - this is pretty terrific

I checked on some east coast rates and in the middle of high season, they are 40% better than the best posted rates. Thank you for being so generous.

Tina

Denise, what an incredibly generous thing for you to do! We have friends in for a long weekend, but I'm going to go look at your offer later today, or tomorrow!

Thank you!