Holiday Inn(R) Introduces Sustainable, 100 Percent Arabica Bean Coffee at All U.S. Hotels

ATLANTA, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Holiday Inn(R) Hotels & Resorts, the world's most recognized hotel brand, announced today that it will serve Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee(R) 100% Arabica bean blend at its nearly 1,000 properties in the United States with the rollout beginning in April with full implementation by June.

This move harnesses Holiday Inn's massive buying power and makes it the largest hotel brand to serve Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee. The announcement means at least 30 percent of the beans used to brew more than 55,233 cups of coffee served every day in Holiday Inn hotels in the United States will come from a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm in Guatemala.

Holiday Inn expects to buy over half a million pounds of coffee blended with Rainforest Alliance Certified beans this year for its award-winning Best- 4-Breakfast(R) menu. This purchase will support environmentally and socially responsible practices on farms where workers and their families are protected and biodiversity is conserved. Areas of impact include the protection of ecosystems and access to clean and safe living and working conditions, schools, healthcare, training, potable drinking water, decent wages, better markets for crops and other worker rights and benefits.

"Consumers today do not just want a great tasting cup of coffee - they also want a brand they can feel good about buying and drinking," said Sue Morgan, vice president of Holiday Inn's Franchise Food & Beverage. "This new brand program provides our guests with a higher-quality product of 100 percent Arabica beans. And with the added benefit that the beans are grown by farmers who use sound ecological farming practices, with a commitment to a better quality of life for the workers and educational opportunities for their children. This commitment is a great fit with the Holiday Inn brand."

Holiday Inn's move is the latest example of a recent trend toward sustainable certified products breaking out of specialty niches and into mass markets, gaining popularity with large companies, mainstream outlets, and consumers. In the past three years, the amount of coffee purchased from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms has, on average, doubled, from an estimated seven million pounds of coffee purchased in 2003 to an estimated 59.9 million pounds purchased in 2006.

"Holiday Inn's partnership with Rainforest Alliance shows how big companies are discovering cost-effective ways to support sustainable practices," said Tensie Whelan, executive director of the Rainforest Alliance. "Blending beans from certified farms into mainstream brands helps support on a large scale farms that are having positive environmental and social impacts."

Holiday Inn has selected Royal Cup Coffee, Inc. as its partner in this new venture. Royal Cup, a Birmingham, Ala.-based importer, roaster and distributor of premium coffees and teas, has extensive experience and expertise within the hotel industry and an existing relationship with the brand.

"We are delighted to be working with Holiday Inn on the introduction of the 100 percent Arabica coffee that is certified by the Rainforest Alliance," said Hatton Smith, president and chief executive officer, Royal Cup Coffee, Inc. "It's rewarding to know we're helping Holiday Inn provide guests with a premium cup of coffee while supporting sustainable farming."

About Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group family of brands with global headquarters in the U.K. and Americas headquarters in Atlanta. With nearly 1,400 properties worldwide and nearly 1,000 in the U.S., Holiday Inn is the most recognized lodging brand in the world and certainly the most iconic. Since 1952 full-service Holiday Inn hotels have provided the services that business travelers need, while also offering a comfortable, casual atmosphere where vacationing guests can relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming pools, fitness centers, and comfortable lounges. Additional features such as meeting space and onsite business centers, KidSuites(R) rooms, Holidome(R) recreation centers, the Kids Eat Free and Kids Stay Free programs and Priority Club Rewards memberships have helped to establish the Holiday Inn brand as "America's Hotel." Call 1-800-HOLIDAY or log onto http://www.holidayinn.com/ for more information or to book a reservation.

About Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. Based in New York City, with offices throughout the United States and worldwide, the Alliance Rainforest works with people whose livelihoods depend on land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, it involves businesses and consumers worldwide in efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. Rainforest Alliance sets standards for sustainability that conserve wildlife and wildlands and promote the well-being of workers and their communities. Farms and forestry enterprises that meet its comprehensive criteria receive the Rainforest Alliance certification seal. The organization also works with tourism businesses, to help them succeed while leaving a small footprint on the environment and providing a boost to local economies. More information on the Rainforest Alliance is available at http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/

About Royal Cup Coffee, Inc.

Founded in 1896, Royal Cup Coffee, Inc., of Birmingham, Alabama, has grown from its small, hometown roots to become a major importer, roaster and distributor of premium coffees and teas with a $170 million per year business and more than 600 employees. Serving customers in the hospitality, food service, office and specialty coffee markets, Royal Cup now reaches markets throughout the U.S., Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. In addition to premium coffees, Royal Cup offers a variety of hot and iced teas, as well as a complete equipment and service program. More information in Royal Cup is available at http://www.royalcupcoffee.com/ or by calling 1-800-366-5836.

Note to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,700 hotels and 556,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel Indigo(R), and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards with over 31 million members worldwide.

InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at http://www.ihg.com/ and information or the Priority Club Rewards program at http://www.priorityclub.com/.

For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit our online Press Office at http://www.ihg.com/media.

  Contact:

  Brad Minor                          Jennifer Tolchin
  Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts        Weber Shandwick
  Brad.Minor@ihg.com                  jtolchin@webershandwick.com
  770-604-5271                        212-445-8336