IHG HOTELS & RESORTS recently partnered with Google Cloud AI to develop a travel planner within the IHG One Rewards mobile app for its customers. The travel planner will cater to various requests with recommendations and travel information and is part of a suite of new features launching in the second half of 2024, IHG said in a statement.
“Working with Google Cloud as an AI innovation partner, we’re making trip planning easier and more interactive for prospective travelers,” said Jolie Fleming, IHG’s chief product and technology officer. “Our customized travel planner will use GenAI to help people discover destinations among our more than 6,000 IHG hotels across 19 brands in over 100 countries. Soon, guests will use the IHG One Rewards mobile app as a true mobile travel companion to build a full itinerary and book hotels in a few taps.”
IHG’s travel planner will offer suggestions for different requests, including specific inquiries such as “Give me four late-night dinner options near the InterContinental London Park Lane” or “Does the Kimpton Shinjuku Hotel in Tokyo allow pets?” and questions like “What jazz shows are happening near the Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Times Square South the weekend of October 12th?”
The travel planner will be constructed using Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s AI platform, and Google’s Gemini models, IHG said. Additional features will be introduced in the months following its public launch.
“IHG is not only reimagining how people travel, but also how people interact with brands,” said Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud’s CEO. “This implementation of generative AI combines Google’s technical expertise with IHG’s commitment to service, raising the bar for how the hospitality industry thinks about guests’ digital experiences.”
IHG began its partnership with Google Cloud as its cloud provider in 2022.