IHG Is Changing How It Distributes Its Hotel Rates to Boost Direct Bookings
Photo Credit: In October 2019, IHG-owned brand Kimpton said it would launch a Stay Human Project where it transforms the decor in one room in a handful of European hotels to more explicitly connect guests to a sense of place and community. IHG, Kimpton's parent company, has been embracing new tech tools. IHG
Skift Take
IHG represents a broader industry trend in that it's getting tougher with online travel agencies and wholesalers in the West while becoming more experimental with online travel sellers in Asia, where it needs help to grow its sales. Its use of new technologies to try to keep its strategy coordinated and to boost revenue are eye-catching.
As online shopping options multiply, large hotel groups have scrambled to keep up. Hotel companies want to manage which discounts are seen in various sites and apps.
In the past year, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), for instance, brought in new hires, new software, and new processes to up its distribution game. (What's IHG? See our IHG explainer.)
IHG earlier this year hired Jamie Cole as its senior vice president of global channels. Cole previously ran digital marketing at Mandarin Oriental and worked at digital players Travelocity and Travelport.
Cole, who now oversees IHG's distribution, is helping rein in where rates for its 5,795 open hotels appear. It's a significant role. Unlike many other large hotel groups, IHG has all of its channels rolling up into one team for oversight.
It's a daunting challenge.
"The waters are muddied," Cole said. "Some TMCs [travel management companies] are displaying rates now from OTAs [online travel agencies] as well as from GDSes
