IHG has finally gotten onboard the digital check-in bandwagon... but in true IHG fashion, it has to be late to the game, and done differently and less intuitively.

Since IHG's move to their new, cloud-based Concerto platform, they've now rolled out digital check-in to 3000+ hotels in the United States and Canada. You basically get a notification on your app on your phone or tablet, or via computer; once that's done, you go to a designated zone in the lobby, show ID and collect keys. When it comes to check-out, you either get an email or app notification, review your bill online, leave your keys in your room and can leave the property straight away. Digital check-in is also being piloted in "other parts of the world" and is planned to roll out to 4500+ hotels by the end of 2021.

Great as this is, IHG is woefully behind on digitization. I wish there was a way to bypass the front desk/reception entirely, and to use one's phone/device as a key the way that Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and others are already doing it. On that note, it's about bloody time that IHG updates their scarily-outdated app [really, who removes wallet/keyless functionality?]; I've found a few designers online who are displaying their prototype designs for a redesigned IHG app [i.e. [url=https://matthewhensler.com/blog/portfolio/the-ihg-app-inspired-booking/]here and here] with some designs from 2018, so I wonder why they're still lumbering along with their unintuitive, ugly app that just slapped a new logo on an aging interface.

khabah

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IHG Hotels & Resorts Announces Digital Check-in is Now Available Across U.S. & Canada

Guests now have more choice for a safe, efficient, and flexible travel experience

Guests can now check-in to more than 3,000 IHG Hotels & Resorts properties across the U.S. and Canada through their mobile devices, computers and tablets. Digital check-in and check out support safe, secure and convenient experiences for all guests before, during and after their stay.

When it’s time to check-in, guests will receive a notification with the option to check-in from their phone or the IHG App. Once the process is completed, they simply go to a designated lobby area, show their identification and pick up their room key. When it’s time to check out, guests will receive a reminder via email or the IHG App, review their bill, leave the keys in the room and go.

Built on the cloud-based IHG Concerto platform, digital check-in provides a safe, streamlined experience as guests return to travel; and supports IHG’s Stay with Confidence program, which also includes IHG Way of Clean, flexible booking options, and services in different regions around the world. Working with new partners, Cleveland Clinic, and long-time collaborators Ecolab and Diversey, IHG Way of Clean includes new sustainable science-led protocols and service measures for hotels.

Josh Weiss, Vice President, Guest Products and Platforms, IHG Hotels & Resorts said: “Digital check-in is a crucial part of the Stay with Confidence program. Building this capability on our IHG Concerto platform allowed us to work quickly to deliver a product our guests want. It also creates an integrated experience for our hotel colleagues and helps support our owners through recovery. This is beneficial to our hotel teams because it minimizes transaction time and complexity, giving them more time to engage guests on-property in other meaningful ways.”

IHG is piloting this technology in other regions of the world with plans to roll these capabilities out across 4,500 hotels and resorts by the end of the year.