CHRISTMAS COMES BUT FOUR TIMES A YEAR

IHG® Rewards Club reveals the average Brit celebrates Christmas multiple times during December

The Christmas present most Brits can expect this year is ‘déjà vu’, according to new data by IHG® Rewards Club, the loyalty programme from IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), which reveals the average Brit will have FOUR 'Christmases' this year.

The research found that adults who celebrate Christmas will attend on average, one work party, two family get-togethers and have a festive do with friends.

They’ll visit six relatives and four friends, give an average of 16 presents, receive 10 in return and pull four crackers in total – one for each Yuletide celebrated.

The majority of Brits (62 per cent) will spend Christmas at home, but 45 per cent admit they would like to enjoy it somewhere else.

David Canty, IHG Vice President of Global Loyalty Programs, said: "Christmas is a special time of year, but it's also a very busy period - whether it’s shopping for gifts or attending numerous get-togethers. As the research suggests, doing the same thing each year can make Christmas a little less magical, but the solution could be as simple as spending the festive period somewhere new."

Four in 10 revealed they’d like to spend the big day in a hotel - almost half of us are bored of spending Christmas in the same location each year. To help counteract this, IHG® Rewards Club is gifting a total of 150-million rewards points to members, redeemable across a wide range of rewards including IHG hotel stays, air miles and big ticket items from Apple, Bose, Dyson & Michael Kors.

A 5,000-point credit* is available to members who tag @IHGRewardsClub in their Twitter or Instagram photos – whether they are home for the festive break with family and friends or at an IHG hotel – using the hashtags #HomeWithIHG, #RewardsOffer and #ad.

David Canty continued: “IHG® Rewards Club members are at the heart of everything we do and we’re making our Christmas rewards available to members wherever they are, rather than just at our hotels. The research shows that people typically start to get into the Christmas spirit on the 10th December – we hope that redeeming this ‘thank you’ gift, adds to their enjoyment!”

ENDS

Media contacts:

Charlotte Tuohy
Weber Shandwick
ctuohy@webershandwick.com
+44 16 1238 9424

Iman Denney-Brown
IHG®
iman.denneybrown@ihg.com
+44 18 9551 2267

NOTES TO EDITORS

Additional findings:

• 36 per cent simply love this time of year and just can’t get enough of all the Christmas festivities
• A fifth attend multiple Christmases because they enjoy spending time with their extended families
• 15 per cent have several Christmas celebrations because they have lots of friends

BUT

• 39 per cent admit they’re fed-up of having multiple Christmases
• 36 per cent of those polled experienced ‘Christmas overload’ as a result of family and social commitments during December
• More than a quarter feel obliged to attend the celebrations
• A fifth are a bit ‘over’ eating the same food
• More than one in 10 celebrate so many times, because their other half is insistent they do so.
• 55 per cent have NEVER turned down an invitation to celebrate Christmas with someone else

Research carried out via OnePoll, November 2018, 2000 people

*THE POINTS GIVEAWAY:

• How to enter:
• Each member is eligible for a maximum of 5,000 points while supplies last, up to a total of 150 million points. Ends 30 December 2018. Select countries (including the UK) 18+ only. Subject to Terms and Conditions
• For more details and to register, visit: ihg.com/rewardsclub

• Take a selfie either preparing for Christmas, at any get-together over December or on December 25^th itself. Selfies could show members at home with guests, visiting friends and family or maybe enjoying a little rest and relaxation at an IHG hotel
• Upload photo to either Twitter or Instagram
• Tag @IHGRewardsClub and include the hashtags: #HomeWithIHG, #RewardsOffer and #ad
• Leave it around fifteen minutes, before visiting ihgrewardsclub.com/claimmypoints to tap in the final few details

About IHG

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

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,500 hotels and approximately 826,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with more than 1,800 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG^® Rewards Club, our global loyalty program, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 375,000 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.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg and www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

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