Skift Take
Mapping each room in thousands of hotels is a huge project, but more undertakings like that are needed to bring the hotel industry into the 21st century.
IHG Hotels & Resorts recently rolled out a function that allows guests to find and book rooms based on certain attributes, a project it says has been years in the making.
Through the IHG app, guests can search for rooms at most hotels based on features, such as it being on a higher floor or having a certain view.
The new feature allows hotels to sell individual room attributes — not just the rooms alone at a standard price — creating a new source of revenue.
“You can price a standard room very differently from a room with a view or a room with a higher floor, and then be able to offer that up digitally,” said George Turner, chief commercial and technology officer at IHG.
IHG hotels now also have the ability to offer add-ons to guests, such as prepaid parking, food and beverage credits, special in-room amenities, and more. More than 100 hotels will have