• by Tanya Gazdik , August 9, 2011

Hilton Garden Inn will give 10 winners the chance to complete one of their travel "bucket list" wishes, whether it be to climb a mountain or learn to surf.

The "Life's Ultimate To-Do List" contest, which runs until Sept. 2 on Hilton Garden Inn's Facebook page, invites people to share their top "to-do list" item, which will serve as their entry into the contest. Entries will also be collected to create the "Ultimate To-Do List," a comprehensive guide of fun and interesting things to explore across the globe, which will live on the hotel brand's Facebook page.

Each grand prize winner will receive a three-day/two-night trip totaling approximately $5,000, which includes round-trip airfare to the destination of their choice for the winner and a guest, hotel accommodations at any Hilton Garden Inn around the globe and money to spend on the activity.

The contest is hosted on the Hilton Garden Inn Facebook page and will be supported by traditional media outreach efforts as well as social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) to drive press coverage and word-of-mouth/social recommendations, says Judy Christa-Cathey, vice president, global brand marketing for Hilton Garden Inn.

"Hilton Garden Inn's Facebook fan base is extremely active, enthusiastic and engaged," Christa-Cathey tells Marketing Daily . "Past Facebook promotions such as winning a 'post-holiday recovery' vacation and free HHonors rewards points have performed quite well for the brand to engage consumers and drive participation."

The hotel company is targeting both leisure and business travelers with the contest, she adds. "These consumers are always on the go, and working hard to achieve success both personally and professionally," Christa-Cathey says.

The demographic and psychographic breakdown of Hilton Garden Inn's core target are adults ages 30-54, 60/40 male/female with a household income of $75K+. They are homeowners, college graduates, married with children at home and are experienced travelers. They are picky and knowledgeable, expecting top quality and perks at a value price. Perks to them are all about points/miles.

The "Life's Ultimate To-Do List" contest is part of Hilton Garden Inn's integrated marketing effort launched last month to announce the new campaign tagline, "We Speak Success." The contest comes on the heels of a recent Hilton Garden Inn survey, which found that nearly seven out of 10 Americans have created some type of ultimate "to-do" list with travel, achieving a professional goal and volunteering for a cause identified as the most popular goals.

Travel tops the lists of American's ultimate lifetime to-dos. More than three-quarters (83%) of those who have a to-do list say that traveling to a special destination is one of the top items they'd like to fulfill. More than one-third (32%) of Americans said the main reason they created their ultimate to-do list was to see new places.