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IHG Hotels & Resorts, a top global hotel company, and Google Cloud have unveiled an enhanced collaboration. This partnership will drive fresh customer experiences in the IHG One Rewards mobile app. Utilizing Google Cloud’s cutting-edge technologies, IHG plans to introduce an innovative AI-driven travel planning feature. This tool will enable guests to effortlessly plan their upcoming vacations right within the IHG One Rewards mobile app. The suite of new features is set to debut in the latter part of 2024, promising a more interactive digital guest experience.
“Working with Google Cloud as an AI innovation partner, we’re making trip planning easier and more interactive for prospective travelers. 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,” said Jolie Fleming, Chief Product & Technology Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts. “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 offers guests a range of recommendations and suggestions, catering to specific inquiries such as locating late-night dining options near InterContinental London Park Lane or checking pet policies at Kimpton Shinjuku Hotel in Tokyo. It can also assist with inquiries like finding jazz performances near Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Times Square South during the weekend of October 12th. Future updates to the Travel Planner will introduce more functionalities after its public debut.
IHG’s commitment to enhancing customer loyalty and engagement includes significant investments in the IHG One Rewards mobile app and technology supporting their loyalty program. Collaborating with Google Cloud allows IHG to swiftly deploy guest-favorite features. The Travel Planner will leverage Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s AI platform, and Google’s Gemini models for development.
“IHG is not only reimagining how people travel, but also how people interact with brands,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO at Google Cloud. “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.”
In 2022, IHG partnered with Google Cloud as its cloud provider, shifting portions of its data to BigQuery, a fully managed, serverless data warehouse. The decision to integrate Google Cloud’s AI technology into IHG’s upcoming Trip Planner feature was influenced by several factors. These include Google Cloud’s comprehensive suite of AI technologies that can scale alongside IHG’s needs, as well as Google’s extensive range of consumer products and services. This ecosystem presents opportunities to craft personalized experiences for travelers.
IHG is actively exploring how innovative, secure technology can enhance returns for hotel owners and improve guest experiences. Google Cloud’s robust cybersecurity, data governance, and privacy protocols empower IHG to maintain control over its data while ensuring compliance with security standards, a top priority for the company. Moreover, Google Cloud’s commitment to responsible and ethical AI practices provides IHG with tools to directly assess model responses for accuracy and appropriateness. This access enables IHG to fine-tune and update its applications powered by Google’s models, ensuring optimal performance.
The post IHG Hotels & Resorts Expands Collaboration with Google Cloud for Innovative Guest Features appeared first on Travel And Tour World.
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