IHG Hotels & Resorts put conversational AI search into beta across IHG.com and the IHG One Rewards mobile app, starting in the United States, so travelers can describe trip needs in plain language instead of relying on keyword filters. The July 28 launch lets users ask for tailored hotel recommendations, interactive maps, real-time availability and pricing by entering destinations, trip purposes, preferences and amenities.
The move matters because the IHG One Rewards app already sits inside a large direct-booking system. IHG’s app listing says users can search hotels, resorts and luxury destinations across 7,000+ hotels in 100+ countries and 20+ brands, while the support page describes it as an all-in-one hotel booking and stay app. The same listing says the app helps users book direct with exclusive member rates and manage travel planning and their stay, which makes conversational search a front-end change with purchase implications.
IHG said it will refine the beta based on user behavior and feedback, and the rollout begins in the U.S. before expanding to additional markets. That makes the launch a live test of how travelers use natural language to compare destinations, loyalty benefits, price points and booking flexibility. It also fits a broader digital pattern at the company, which introduced next-generation cloud solutions for booking in 2023, rolled out Apple AirPlay in North American hotels in 2024 and launched a LINE MiniApp in Japan in 2025 for hotel bookings and IHG One Rewards access.
For AEO and SEO leaders, the signal is that visibility is moving inside the booking interface itself. IHG is no longer treating search as a static filter set; it is testing whether a traveler can move from discovery to purchase by asking for the right hotel experience in everyday language. If the beta gains traction beyond the U.S., the result will be a clearer read on whether conversational search can change direct-booking behavior across a portfolio that spans one of the industry’s largest loyalty and hotel networks.
