InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) launches "luckiest loser" contest

The owner of the Holiday Inn and InterContinental Hotels brands is taking aim at angry members of the Hilton HHonors loyalty program. Last month, Hilton HHonors increased the number of reward points required for a free room by 20 percent. Members complained on chat boards that Hilton program was making their miles worth less at a time when hotels are begging for business travelers.

"It's an absolute bonehead move," travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt told Barbara De Lollis of USA Today's Hotel Check-in blog. On Wednesday, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) launched its "luckiest loser" contest, targeting the 50 percent of its Priority Points program members who also belong to HHonors. The Priority Points member with highest Hilton points balance wins 2 million Priority Points, good for 80 nights at an IGH hotel. Another 20,000 can earn 20,000 points, said Don Berg, IGH's vice president of loyalty programs.

"We want to put that 20 percent back with Priority Points," he said.