(NEWS) ATLANTA, GA, United States, 2026-Jul-28 — /Travel PR News/ — IHG Hotels & Resorts is bringing AI-powered conversational search into its own digital channels, aiming to make hotel discovery feel less like filling out a form and more like describing the trip a guest actually wants to take.
The beta launch is now beginning in the United States on IHG.com and the IHG One Rewards mobile app, with plans to expand into more markets after IHG reviews user behaviour and feedback.
According to details released by IHG, the new search tool allows travellers to use everyday language when looking for a stay. Instead of relying only on traditional filters, guests can describe the destination, purpose of travel, preferred amenities or style of trip, and receive tailored hotel recommendations across IHG’s global portfolio of more than 7,000 hotels.
For example, a traveller could search for a hotel suited to a family city break, a business stay with convenient workspace, or a property with specific amenities such as a pool, parking, restaurant, or wellness facilities. The results can include interactive maps, real-time availability, pricing, detailed hotel information, photos and relevant amenities.
The feature also supports different ways to shop. Guests will be able to search using cash rates, points, or a combination of points and cash, making the tool relevant not only for general travellers but also for IHG One Rewards members planning how to use their loyalty benefits.
The launch reflects a wider shift in travel planning. Hotel discovery is becoming more conversational as travellers increasingly expect digital tools to understand intent rather than simply process fixed search fields. For large hotel groups, the challenge is to make thousands of properties easier to navigate while still providing accurate information and direct booking options.
IHG says its recommendations are grounded in verified hotel data and guest reviews, which is important in an AI-led search environment. Travellers may be open to using AI for trip planning, but the value depends on whether the results are reliable, current and connected to actual availability.
During the beta phase, IHG’s existing search functionality will remain available alongside the new AI search option. That gives users a choice between a familiar booking path and a more conversational discovery experience.
The update also has significance for hotel owners. IHG says the tool can help properties increase visibility in AI search by better matching hotel attributes with traveller preferences. Over the coming months, the company will roll out an AI-optimised hotel content platform that will make it easier for hotels to upload richer property information.
That platform is expected to support additional content such as floor plans, videos and updated imagery, helping hotels better describe the details that matter to modern travellers. This could be especially useful for properties with specific strengths, such as family facilities, meeting spaces, wellness amenities, distinctive design, neighbourhood access or long-stay features.
IHG Chief Executive Officer Elie Maalouf said the launch builds on years of investment in the company’s digital foundations, including cloud-based data unification and technology platform development. He described conversational search as a milestone in how guests interact with IHG and discover its hotels around the world.
The launch follows IHG’s recent move into ChatGPT with an IHG app and forms part of a broader AI strategy across the company’s guest experience. Future developments are expected to include more personalised search experiences and agentic booking capabilities, which could eventually allow travellers to move even more directly from trip idea to confirmed reservation.
For guests, the benefit is straightforward: less time spent narrowing down hotel options and more relevant results based on how people naturally think about travel. For IHG, the technology supports direct booking, loyalty engagement and property visibility at a time when hotel search is becoming more competitive and more AI-driven.
The bigger change is not just that AI is being added to hotel search. It is that hotel groups are beginning to redesign the discovery process around intent. Travellers no longer need to start with a rigid set of filters; they can begin with a need, a mood, a purpose or a practical requirement.
For IHG, conversational search is a step toward making its digital channels feel more like a planning assistant and less like a booking engine alone.
