Oracle OPERA Cloud gains approval across IHG hotels

Oracle has secured approval from IHG Hotels & Resorts as a cloud-based property management system provider for IHG hotels across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

The approval places Oracle on IHG's list of approved property management systems. IHG operates a largely franchised estate and works with owners and franchisees on technology choices at property level. The approval gives those operators an additional option within IHG's approved systems.

Oracle's platform, OPERA Cloud, now sits within IHG's approved set for hotels in the Americas and in EMEAA, which IHG uses to describe Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Oracle and IHG have an existing relationship in hospitality technology.

Approved platform

Property management systems sit at the core of hotel operations. They typically handle reservations, check-in and check-out, room allocation, rates, and integration with other hotel systems. Large hotel groups often maintain standards and approved technology lists that owners and franchisees follow when selecting or replacing core systems.

IHG properties that choose OPERA Cloud will use it as a shared operational system across properties. Oracle said the platform allows standardisation of operations and data on a single platform. The company also said this increases operational efficiency and visibility across properties. Oracle linked those changes to consistency in guest experiences across hotels.

Oracle positioned the approval as part of its work in hospitality. OPERA Cloud is part of Oracle's hospitality software portfolio, which also includes point-of-sale and other tools used by hotels and resorts.

Operational focus

Oracle described OPERA Cloud as suited to complex hotel operations and multi-property portfolios. The company said the system supports standardisation and offers increased visibility across operations and guest interactions.

Alex Alt, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Oracle Commercial Cloud Applications, framed the move as an extension of an existing relationship with the hotel group.

"We are proud to deepen our longstanding collaboration with IHG to deliver cutting-edge cloud technologies to their franchisees. OPERA Cloud provides a proven, scalable, and highly user-intuitive suite that empowers data-driven decision making, streamlines operations, and delivers enhanced experiences for both guests and staff," said Alex Alt, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Oracle Commercial Cloud Applications, Oracle.

IHG also highlighted its shift towards cloud-based property management system solutions. The group's technology function has worked on replacing or augmenting on-premise hotel systems across the industry, amid wider moves to cloud software.

Jolie Fleming, Chief Product & Technology Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts, described the company's direction and linked OPERA Cloud to performance across its estate.

"We've been on an exciting journey toward new cloud-based property management system solutions at IHG. The Oracle OPERA Cloud hospitality platform brings advanced capabilities that will help drive performance for our hotel portfolio, including the most complex IHG properties," said Fleming.

Scale and compliance

Oracle said OPERA Cloud is live in a wide number of jurisdictions. The company said the system supports fiscal compliance in 236 countries and territories. Oracle also pointed to quarterly updates, single sign-on, and security controls as part of the product's operating model.

IHG's approval covers hotels across multiple regions. That footprint spans a wide range of regulatory and tax environments. Large hotel groups and their owners often require property systems to handle invoicing rules and local reporting requirements, as well as integrations with payment providers and distribution platforms.

Oracle described OPERA Cloud as a cloud-based system that reduces the need for on-site technology intervention. The company also said its update cycle provides ongoing changes to the software.

Broader portfolio

Oracle Hospitality also referenced other products in its hospitality range alongside OPERA Cloud. These include Simphony point-of-sale, reporting and analytics tools, and Nor1 upsell tools. Oracle said it has worked in hospitality technology for more than 45 years, across independent hotels, large chains, gaming, and cruise lines.

The approval adds another major hotel group endorsement for Oracle's cloud property platform. The pace of system replacement in hospitality remains uneven across regions and brands, but hotel owners continue to evaluate cloud systems as properties modernise their core operational software.

IHG owners and franchisees in the Americas and EMEAA will now be able to select OPERA Cloud within IHG's approved property management options as they plan new openings, renovations, or technology replacement cycles.