InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is taking guests deep into the 21st century. The company, which operates InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn and five other hotel brands, announced that they are testing and rolling out of several new mobile and digital technologies to provide a more personalized and interactive experience for guests.
“We continuously gather insights from consumers, which enables us to research, develop, pilot and launch new ways of engaging with guests across their Guest Journey,” said Michael Menis, senior vice president of digital and voice channels for IHG.
The initiatives that IHG hotels are working on include a combination of mobile-driven and in-hotel technologies that ease and enhance a guest’s stay experience from booking a room to checking out. “They reinforce how our digital capabilities add value beyond the booking opportunity. They are an illustration of how we evolve our content strategy to stay connected with guests and develop more meaningful relationships with them,” said Menis.
Expert Guides
Guests booking rooms at IHG hotels in more than 50 cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, Shanghai and Paris, can create personalized travel guides using tips from local experts on stay.com. The guides can be downloaded to stay.com’s mobile app on Apple and Android devices for use on or offline.
Mobile Check-In and Check-Out
Mobile Check In and Check Out service gives guests the flexibility to manage their stay via their mobile device, including confirmation of arrival time and notification of when their room is ready. At least during the initial rollout, this service will be available only for IHG Rewards Club elite members. A mobile folio service will also allow guests to see their bill in real time before using the app for mobile check-out.
Mobile Room Keys
Skip the front desk altogether and go straight to your room—and unlock it with your phone. This technology is currently being tested in the U.S.
Guest Requests
Request housekeeping, call for room repairs and more through IHG Guest Request (part of the IHG hotels app). Responses are promised to be quick since the app tracks who among the staff is taking care of each request, and alerts staff to any requests that haven’t yet been addressed.
Beacon Wrapped
IHG hotels will place iBeacon technology in hotel lobbies and restaurants to push notifications to guests, including offers relevant to their stays. This service is being tested in select properties in China.
