IHG's midscale extended-stay brand to lead multi-year strategic partnership
GLENDORA, Calif. (March 22, 2011) —NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) announced today that it has signed a multi-year deal with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world's largest hotel group, designating Candlewood Suites, IHG's midscale extended-stay hotel brand, as the "Preferred Hotel of NHRA."
The strategic partnership provides multi-media rights to IHG and all of its brands, with Candlewood Suites designated as the "Preferred Hotel of NHRA." This includes significant advertising on NHRA.com, the premier website in drag racing, as well as in the weekly periodical National Dragster. Candlewood Suites will also receive advertising placement in NHRA Nitro News, a weekly opt-in email newsletter for fans of NHRA Drag Racing. As part of the sponsorship, NHRA's 80,000 members will have access to special accommodation offers at all eight of IHG's brands in the Americas, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.
"IHG and its Candlewood Suites brand will certainly benefit from the added awareness granted by the multitude of media platforms available within NHRA," said Tony Driscoll, vice president of sales and business development, NHRA. "NHRA's core fan base aligns with the Candlewood Suites brand, and we are confident that the 'off-the-chart' sponsor loyalty among our fan base will result in Candlewood Suites becoming the place to stay for fans attending national events and beyond."
"When we contemplated a relationship with NHRA, it became clear that their core fan base aligns with the Candlewood Suites target customer," said Del Ross, vice president, U.S. Sales and Marketing, IHG. "This partnership gives us the unique opportunity to encourage NHRA fans that may not have stayed at Candlewood Suites before to give us a try. We know that once they stay with us, they'll love us."
IHG joins a growing list of league sponsors that have renewed or joined NHRA in the last six months. Earlier this year, Candlewood Suites also signed a deal as a major associate and primary sponsor for the Kalitta Motorsports team.
