It is no secret I have a soft spot for Hilton Hotels. Not only is their loyalty scheme, Hilton Honors, one of the most rewarding for repeat customers, but they are brilliant at incorporating new technology into your travel.
Previously known as Hilton HHonors, and now just Honors, I reviewed the App last year and loved it! Now Hilton have read my mind and announced the next phase of not just their future rooms, but the App too.
Hilton Connected Rooms
Forget checking in from your phone, pre-selecting that upgraded room with a few taps of the screen or even skipping the front desk all together and just using your device to unlock your room door. Hilton have upped the hotel game with their new offering, The Connected Room!
“Innovation has been in Hilton’s DNA since entrepreneur Conrad Hilton purchased the first Hilton property and pioneered the hospitality industry nearly 100 years ago,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton. “Many innovations later, we are once again setting a new standard for the industry by giving our guests a travel experience where the room knows them, and they know their room.”
– Hilton Press Room
What Is It?
Currently in a beta phase and only available at a single hotel, Connected Room is the next generation of the mobile app for hotel customers at Hilton.
Once live, the new Honors App will be able to control nearly every aspect of your room. No longer will you struggle trying to understand the heating or Air Con system, or search endlessly for a TV channel using a remote that is either not working or cannot connect to the receiver on the telly. The new app will do all this and but learn your preferences too.
How well-lit you like your room, or at which temperature you prefer are now easy to change with a tap of the on-screen button.
Nothing to watch? Link your preferred streaming service to your account and bring your movies, box-sets and music with you. If you do not want to keep using your device when you are in the room then later version, once live, will include voice control.
The Beta version is being tested from a physical remote inside each room. These remote control units will remain and be available in every Connected Room once fully rolled out, so guests with older or no handsets can still experience the streamlined, easier and connected stay!
Will It Work?
Hilton seem to be wanting to get it right before a roll-out across properties in the US during 2018. A single hotel is currently testing this although I cannot see which it is and a few more will be joining it before the end of the year. But Hilton have committed to a “rapid” scale up next year when the service is ready.
For this to be successful, and cost-effective, Hilton are banking on less need for future hardware roll-outs in each of their hundreds of thousands of rooms, and instead push new services and software updates out.
Personally, I’m hoping for a decent connected coffee machine and the ability to set the power and temperature of the shower! Too much to ask for?
Hilton’s Connected Room Launch Video
If you cannot wait to get started, you can download the Hilton Honors App for Android and iOS devices today. This will give you a great taste of what is to come in 2018!
Sounds like a handy tool! My only concern is safety–I hope Hilton will put in the appropriate safety measures so that hackers will not compromise the system or the safety of the Hilton guests.
Totally agree!
This sounds very helpful while traveling but I agree with Patricia, I’d want to know if safety measures had been taken .
I agree, they will need to do a good job of relaying the security and data privacy actions to customers!
I LOVE this feature I tried it out a few months ago on a work trip and it was super convenient!
Was that the digital check in or did you manage to find the one hotel with the full Connected Room experience?
This will an awesome set in creating a great customer experience for the hospitality industry – to not just meet but also anticipate a guest’s needs.
This sounds so cool!! I would love to be able to control so many aspects right from my phone. I’m that person who struggles to understand the controls in hotel rooms.