IHG Hotels & Resorts today announced the beta launch of AI-powered conversational search on IHG.com and the IHG One Rewards mobile app. The beta begins in the U.S. before expanding to users across multiple markets, with IHG refining the experience based on user behavior and feedback.
The conversational search functionality brings trip planning into IHG’s digital channels, allowing guests to move from inspiration and discovery to booking one of more than 7,000 hotels globally. The tool also allows hotel owners to increase property visibility in AI searches and connect travelers with more of what they want.
Travelers searching on IHG.com and the IHG One Rewards app can describe their travel needs using everyday language. Prompts such as destination, trip purpose, preferences and amenities can generate tailored hotel recommendations along with interactive maps, real-time availability, pricing and detailed property information. Travelers will also have the ability to shop with points or a combination of points and cash in addition to cash rates.
Recommendations are grounded in IHG’s verified property data and guest reviews. During the beta, users will continue to see IHG’s existing search functionality alongside the option for AI search.
“Launching conversational search in IHG’s digital channels transforms how guests interact with IHG and discover our incredible collection of hotels around the world,” Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts. It’s a milestone that builds on years of strategic investment in our digital foundations, including the unification of our data in the cloud and the continued evolution of our best-in-class technology platforms. With these capabilities in place, and more to follow, we are very well positioned to harness the power of AI at scale and deliver rich, inspiring and seamless travel experiences that delight our guests and deliver benefits to our hotel owners.”
A new AI-optimized hotel content platform will roll out over the next several months, allowing hotels to upload content such as floor plans, videos and updated imagery. The launch follows IHG’s recent app in ChatGPT and will be supported by further developments this year. IHG is also working to add features, including more personalized search experiences and agentic booking capabilities, and is working with technology partners to support these efforts.