IHG links up with Google Earth, introduces trip planner tool

Published: 07 Oct 2008

InterContinental Hotels Group has worked on a new online tool to "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 website http://www.ihg.com/ or http://www.earth.ihg.com/ can download for free a tool that combines Google Earth technology with a special IHG hotels file.

According to IHG, once the file is downloaded, guests can 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 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," said Bryson Koehler, IHG's Vice President, Revenue and Guest Technology

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