IHG Rolls Out AI Search Beta Across Digital Channels

IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched an artificial intelligence-powered conversational search tool in beta across IHG.com and the IHG One Rewards mobile app. The tool allows travelers in the United States to search for accommodations using natural language instead of standard date and filter boxes across more than 7,000 properties worldwide, with global rollouts planned later [1], [2], [3].

How does the new conversational booking interface operate?

Guests can describe travel needs using natural phrases rather than standard drop-down filters, according to hotel.report [2]. A traveler can enter details regarding destination, trip purpose, amenities, and specific stay preferences into the prompt [2], [3]. The engine then produces tailored property suggestions grounded in IHG's verified hotel data and guest reviews [2], [3].

Alongside property recommendations, the interface surfaces interactive maps, live room availability, pricing, and hotel details [2], [3]. Guests can review rates and shop stays using cash, IHG One Rewards loyalty points, or a combination of cash and points [2], [3]. Hotel Dive reported that during the beta period, IHG continues to offer its traditional search interface alongside the conversational option so travelers can choose their booking path [2], [3].

What technology infrastructure supports IHG's rollout?

The conversational system relies on cloud-based property data architectures compiled over multiple years. In statements cited by hotel.report and Hotel Dive, IHG Hotels & Resorts CEO Elie Maalouf noted that the launch builds on unified cloud data and digital platform foundations [2], [3].

HospitalityNet reported that IHG intends to follow this beta search release with agentic booking capabilities [1]. This future phase aims to unite discovery, comparison, and booking into a single conversational session without forcing guests onto conventional search results pages [1]. The direct channel release follows the launch of an IHG application inside ChatGPT [2], [3].

How does IHG compare to competing digital AI initiatives?

The beta release coincides with several concurrent hospitality technology rollouts across alternative distribution layers, as reported by HospitalityNet [1].

HospitalityNet observed that these rollouts represent three separate paths: direct hotel chain infrastructure, aggregator-style integrations on general consumer models, and monetized ad placements within search engine AI answers [1].

What tools are planned for hotel owners and property teams?

Property owners will receive dedicated digital tools to maintain search visibility under the new generative interface. To ensure properties appear accurately in natural-language recommendations, IHG plans to launch an AI-optimised hotel content platform over the coming months, hotel.report reported [2].

The upcoming content system allows individual properties to submit richer media assets directly into the discovery engine [2]. Supported formats will include architectural floor plans, video walkthroughs, and refreshed photography, providing the underlying algorithmic engine with granular details to answer guest queries [2].

Where does conversational search fit within broader commercial plans?

Conversational search serves as a component of a wider enterprise-level commercial program. According to Hotel Dive, Elie Maalouf outlined a three-tiered corporate AI approach during a May earnings call, focusing on guest acquisition and loyalty, hotel commercial optimization, and corporate cost efficiency [3].

On that call, Maalouf stated that the conversational tool is intended to attract direct bookings across IHG's footprint [3]. Initial beta access remains confined to United States users across IHG.com and the mobile app, with additional international markets and refined personalization scheduled to follow based on user interaction patterns [2], [3].