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Intercontinental Hotels Group taps Google Earth

October 07, 2008 | Hospitality Industry

Using Google Earthtechnology, Intercontinental Hotels Group’s guests can plan and book their travel anywhere in the world in just a few simple clicks. Visitors to IHG’s website can download for free a unique tool that combines Google Earth technology with a special IHG hotels file.

Whether you want to visit the exotic islands of the Caribbean, the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, or see the lights of Paris, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, has built a groundbreaking tool unique in the hotel industry that will make it easier to plan and book an IHG branded hotel room anywhere in the world in just a few clicks.

Visitors to IHG’s web site ihg.com/ or earth.ihg.com/ can download for free a unique tool that combines Google Earth technology with a special IHG hotels file. Once the file is downloaded, guests can literally see the world, home in on their destination city, town or landmark, see where any one of the more than 4,000 IHG branded hotels are located in relation to their travel needs, and book their hotel room directly from the trip planning tool - and all at the same time.

The IHG trip planner tool was developed to enhance the travel planning experience for guests by increasing the ease with which they can make reservations and plan their itineraries prior to arriving at their destination from the comfort of their own home. The tool enables guests to:

- See local weather conditions and traffic updates,
- See their hotel in 3-D to view and navigate roads around the hotel and beyond, and
- Pinpoint local “places of interest” at their destination.

“Travel today is a bit harder than it used to be and we constantly strive to use technology in unique, but simple, ways that allow us to delight our guests and deliver an improved guest experience even before they arrive at our hotels. Using innovative technology to give guests the ability to see where they are going before they book will make their travels a little bit easier” says Bryson Koehler, vice president, revenue and guest technology, IHG.

The tool is self-updating and links directly to IHG’s reservations system for an accurate booking experience.

Related Link: Intercontinental Hotels Group

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