Hilton Worldwide is itself embracing mobile technology to ensure that the end-to-end journey, and the hotel experience in particular, is as simple and seamless as possible for travellers. It has made a significant investment in exploring how smartphones can positively impact the guest experience, and the results are impressive.
As well as enabling guests to make bookings via their smartphone, members of the Hilton HHonors rewards programme can check-in and choose their exact room from digital floor plans, and customise their stay by purchasing their upgrades and making special requests for items to be delivered to their room, all using their mobile device. There are also plans to enable guests to check-out using their personal device, and they will even be able to use their smartphone as their room key at the majority of Hilton hotels by 2016.
“The future of the travel industry unquestionably is a connected one,” explained Josh Weiss, Hilton Worldwide’s VP Brand and Guest Technology. “At Hilton, we’re investing in and delivering on a more mobile future with our recently redesigned Hilton HHonors app. With the launch of an industry-first digital check-in and room selection, we are changing how guests engage with our brand by empowering them to dream, book, stay, check-out and follow up with us right from their smartphone.”