How IHG Hotels & Resorts Transformed Guest Communication with Google RCS
Date: April 23, 2026
Time: 9am PT / 12pm ET
Duration: 45 minutes
Format: Fireside Chat + Live Q&A
Your guests are already messaging every day. The question is whether they’re messaging you.
IHG Hotels & Resorts – the company behind InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Kimpton, and Crowne Plaza – made the decision to meet guests in the channel they already use: their phone’s native messaging app. Using Google RCS for Business, IHG replaced anonymous SMS short codes with a branded, verified, two-way messaging experience. No app download required.
The results were swift. Within months, RCS became IHG’s second-largest customer communication channel. Guest satisfaction rose. And IHG’s team handled increased volume without adding headcount.
In this fireside chat, hear the story directly from the people who made it happen.
What You’ll Learn
- Why IHG moved from SMS to Google RCS for Business – and what they gained
- What the guest experience looks like today, including a live look at the Google Search → RCS conversation flow
- The measurable impact: channel adoption, guest satisfaction, IVR deflection, and operational efficiency
- What’s on IHG’s roadmap: self-service features, rich media carousels, and international expansion
Speakers
Carter Calle
Director of Messaging
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Director of Messaging
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Alex Allemand
Business Development Lead
Google
Business Development Lead
Jen Grant
CMO
Quiq
CMO
Quiq
Quiq is a certified Google RCS for Business partner and the messaging platform powering IHG’s RCS deployment.
