Q & AhiLton ’ s shefsky on mobiLe key innovation |
Hilton Worldwide ' s Digital Key offers keyless entry into guestrooms , elevators , side doors and fitness centers at select Hilton properties . |
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Last august , Hilton Worldwide began rolling its Digital Key , offering keyless entry into guestrooms , elevators , side doors and fitness centers at select Hilton properties . Since its launch , Hilton has rolled out its Digital Key at more than 95 properties throughout the U . S . and has had over 45,000 Digital Key requests . The company plans to roll out Digital Key to all U . S . full service brands and select international locations by the end of 2016 . HOTELS spoke with Dana Shefsky , director of digital product innovation at Hilton , about the adaption thus far , the company ’ s goals for the app in 2016 and overall trends in the app marketplace .
HOTELS : What trends have you seen with booking apps over the past couple of years , and how is Hilton adopting to the changing market ?
Dana Shefsky : The hotel app is evolving beyond the four walls of the hotel to enhance the entire travel experience , dream to departure . We like to think of our HHonors app as our guests ’ top travel companion . Guests can search for the perfect hotel and book directly through the app , check-in and choose their exact
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room from a digital floor plan , and even request items like a bottle of Champagne or extra pillows to be ready in their room upon arrival . Once on property , guests can use the app ’ s Digital Key feature to access their hotel room and other hotel areas requiring a key . At the end of their trip , guests can view their past itineraries , HHonors status and more . H : How has the app been updated ? DS : In September 2015 , we partnered with Uber on two new features that are making it easier for our guests to travel like locals . Ride Reminder sends automated notifications to remind guests to order transportation to and from the hotel . You can also book an Uber directly from the app . Local Scene is an exclusive list of popular restaurants and nightlife locations hosted on the HHonors app and chosen based on Uber rider dropoff / pick-up data . We ’ ve also added the ability for elite members to give us in-stay feedback through the app and get immediate responses – giving us another touch point .
H : How effective has the app been with driving sales ?
DS : Our HHonors app has been quite effective in driving engage-
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“ the hoteL app is evoLving beyond the four waLLs of the hoteL to engance the entire traveL experience , dream to departure . we Like to think of our hhonors app as our guests ’ top traveL companion .”
— Dana SHEfSky , DirEcTOr Of DigiTaL prODucT innOvaTiOn aT HiLTOn WOrLDWiDE
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ment and guest loyalty , which overall strengthens bookings with our hotels . For example , since the app ’ s re-launch in July 2014 , the HHonors app has been downloaded more than 4 million times and has received the highest average Apple Store customer rating of all hospitality apps .
H : How has Hilton updated any issues with its app ?
DS : With any new digital tool , there were some obstacles and issues that we had to tackle . But our team has worked strategically to keep these issues to a minimum . During our Digital Key beta testing , we were able to identify issues our guests might run into and solve them in real-time . This prepared us to conduct a successful Digital Key launch nationally . Similarly , we had to figure out how to integrate Digital Key with the various tech systems already on properties , like the elevator . If a guest needs a keycard to access their floor from the lobby , we needed to ensure guests could also use their smartphone to gain access . We were able to solve challenges like these while beta testing to limit the number of issues when scaled nationally .
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26 HOTELS March 2016 www . hotelsmag . com |