IHG boss talks about creating a 'digital advantage'

Hotel guests are increasingly expecting seamless technology, IHG Hotels & Resorts CEO Keith Barr said during the company's fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 earnings call.

Barr talked about creating a "digital advantage."

"This is vital to enabling a seamless technology experience across the guest journey, from driving direct bookings and creating integrated digital experiences for our guests to delivering revenue-enhancing solutions for our owners," Barr said.

He added that attribute pricing, part of IHG's guest reservation system developed by Amadeus, is being rolled out with 95% of hotels having completed "detailed room inventory assessments in preparation."

Piloting of the attribute pricing system began in early 2019, with the technology enabling guests to select room attributes when booking.

He went on to discuss the relaunch of IHG's loyalty program, which has more than 100 million members who "traditionally account for more than around half of our guest days."