Hilton Illustrates Customer Loyalty to Its Guests

One of the main reasons that Hilton remains on technology’s cutting edge is the way it illustrates customer loyalty to its guests.

Hilton’s Digital Key technology recently celebrated its one-year anniversary and, during that time, it outpaced its competition, opening two million doors for Hilton HHonors members at 400 hotels. What’s more, its counterpart digital check-in with room selection is now used by guests once every 2.5 seconds to pick the perfect room.

Loyalty360 caught up with Dana Shefsky, director of Digital Product Innovation at Hilton Worldwide, and discussed the company’s planned innovations.

“We know that many of our guests rely on their smartphones to manage their lives,” Shefsky explained. “They want convenience, access, and decision-making power and our digital tools give them this. For example, In-app Real-Time Chat will allow guests to communicate with the property to request amenities such as extra pillows or a late check-out. Available at a select few properties initially, Guests will be invited to message the property as early as a day before and up to one week after their stay. Pin My Room will give Hilton HHonors members the ability to mark their favorite room in a hotel. Did you love staying near the pool or in a room with a perfect view of the skyline? Or maybe you want to remember the room you stayed in during your honeymoon for future anniversaries? Now it’s easier to remember the room you love.”

These features enable Hilton to enhance the guest experience and ensure a stress-free trip.

“We’ve put the remote control to their stay in the palm of their hands and we will continue to listen to our guests and innovate in meaningful ways and illustrate our loyalty to our guests,” Shefsky said.
Hilton officials received great feedback on Digital Key and its Hilton HHonors app features, including more than 55,000 guest testimonials since the launch of Digital Key. The Hilton HHonors app is the highest rated hospitality app in the Apple App Store with 4.8 stars.

“But the best feedback we’ve received is the guest adoption of our Hilton HHonors app,” Shefsky said. She shared the following results:

Digital check-in with room selection is used nearly one million times per month. That’s once every two-and-a-half seconds.

70% of those who use digital check-in also use Digital Key.

The Hilton HHonors app is downloaded approximately once every seven seconds.

Nearly half of all Digital Key users have used it more than once.

Hilton manages to stay on top of the swift changes in technology.

“We know our guests crave convenience, access, and control,” Shefsky said. “By focusing on what is making life easier and more personalized for our guests through the Hilton HHonors app, we are redefining the guest experience – empowering them, better recognizing and rewarding loyalty, and collaborating more.”

How does Hilton achieve this?

“We do this by listening to our guests’ feedback and innovating in meaningful ways that will enhance their experiences at our hotels,” Shefsky said. “We ask ourselves two questions: Will this impact every guest? Does this improve the guest’s stay with us in a meaningful way? We are always looking to improve our digital features and give our guests the remote control to their stay in the palm of their hand.”

Pride runs deep among Hilton officials.

“I’m proud of our ability to do the seemingly impossible–create 4,500 digital floor plans in 16 months and scale to 400 hotels with 138K locks in just one year,” Shefsky explained. “I’m proud of the holistic guest experience we’ve been able to build within the Hilton HHonors app. In just one short year of digital check-in with Digital Key, we’ve seen extensive guest adoption. Digital check-in with room selection is used over 1 million times per month, that’s once every 2.5 seconds. Since the beginning of 2016, nearly 7 million rooms have been selected using digital check-in. Digital Key is now live in all of our brands in the U.S. and we’re expanding internationally, beginning with Singapore. It’s been exciting to witness our guests engage with our digital tools and share amazing feedback on what they love.”

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