Motel 6 Reveals "Open Road Correspondents" Contest Winners

Three travel fans will profile "green" road trips along iconic American highways

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Jul 10, 2012, 08:00 ET

DALLAS, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Three social media-savvy travelers are gearing up for memorable summer road trips, having been named Motel 6's official "Open Road Correspondents" today. The announcement concludes an online contest launched by the popular hotel chain in May in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Motel 6 fans submitted compelling videos illustrating why they deserved to travel and report on some of the most iconic stretches of American highway. The winners' upcoming eco-friendly adventures nod to Motel 6's beginnings as an idea born during a cross-country road trip by its founders. The three winners of the prize package -- valued at $6,000 with two WiFi enabled iPads each, are:

Dan Bakst of Temple Terrace, Florida, whose lighthearted video includes vintage postcards and a self-written travel song featuring his ukulele talents.
Keaton Davis of New Braunfels, Texas, whose video meshes clips of his previous road-trip adventures through cities, mountains and desert.
Brianna Poster of St. Charles, Illinois, whose video shared personal clips, including a cliff-side bungee jump, along with past travel footage and photos.

Honoring Motel 6's commitment to sustainability, Correspondents will travel "green" by using environmentally friendly vehicles and digital map applications to help conserve fuel and energy. Winners also will stay at predetermined Motel 6 locations, several of which have been updated with earth-friendly features such as 80-percent recycled material flooring, low-flow toilets, high-efficiency heating and cooling units, and energy-efficient lighting.

Each winner and a travel companion will explore one of three routes, all approximately 1,000 miles long with four to six city stops. Dan Bakst will travel Route 66 through Amarillo, Texas to Santa Monica, Calif. Keaton Davis will trek The Pacific Coast Highway from Turnwater, Wash., to Santa Barbara, Calif. Brianna Poster will explore the Southern Route, starting in Austin, Texas, and ending in Destin, Fla. Traveling between July 16 and Sept. 3, 2012, Correspondents will document their trip along the way by providing status updates and photos on their personal social media profiles, and sharing content with Motel 6' Facebook and Twitter fans.

Follow each traveler's journey on Motel 6's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Motel6 and on Twitter account, www.twitter.com/@Motel6.

About Motel 6
Motel 6 offers the lowest price of any national chain at more than 1,100 company-owned and franchised locations throughout the United States and Canada. For 26 years, Motel 6 has used the tagline, "We'll leave the light on for you®," earning the chain the highest brand recognition in the economy lodging segment. Motel 6 was the first national pet friendly chain, welcoming pets since 1962. Standard amenities include free local phone calls, no long distance access charges, free morning coffee and expanded cable channel line-up. Most locations offer Wi-Fi Internet access, swimming pools and guest laundry facilities. For more information, visit www.motel6.com.

About Accor North America
Headquartered in Dallas (Carrollton), Texas, Accor North America operates more than 1,100 upscale and economy properties including nationwide economy leaders Motel 6 and Studio 6, Sofitel Luxury Hotels and upscale Novotel locations in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit accor-na.com.

Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, is present in 90 countries with more than 4,400 hotels and 530,000 rooms. Accor's broad portfolio of hotel brands - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, all seasons/ibis Styles, Etap Hotel/Formule 1/ibis budget, hotelF1 and Motel 6 - provide an extensive offer from luxury to budget. With 145,000 employees worldwide, the Group offers to its clients and partners nearly 45 years of know-how and expertise.

CONTACTS

Laura Rojo-Eddy
Director, Corporate Communications
972-360-5970
[email protected]

Ryanne Dalton
Media Manager
GolinHarris
972-341-2529
[email protected]

SOURCE Motel 6