Hilton Worldwide rolls out mobile room keys in U.S. hotels

Hilton Worldwide, based in McLean, said Monday that by late spring of 2015, Hilton HHonors members staying at U.S. properties of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and Canopy by Hilton brands can use their smartphones to access their rooms.

In July, Hilton Worldwide debuted digital check-in with room selection technology, now available at more than 3,700 hotels, and worldwide by the end of this year. The technology enables Hilton HHonors members to check in via their HHonors profile on desktop, mobile or tablet and choose the exact location of their room – right down to the room number. Mobile-enabled room key goes a step further in simplifying guests’ journey, allowing travelers to check-in, choose their room and access their room upon arrival entirely via the HHonors app on their smartphone.

“Our mobile room key technology gives our guests greater choice and control over their entire experience,” Geraldine Calpin, global head of digital at Hilton Worldwide, said in a statement.  “Never before has a hotel guest been able to check-in, select their room from a digital floor plan, request items to be ready upon arrival, and then access their room via their smartphone and find it exactly the way they requested it. We’re truly revolutionizing travel by making the stay experience more convenient.”

Hilton said it is rolling out the technology in three phases across all U.S. properties of four brands:

Pilot testing at 10 U.S. properties in early 2015.
Mobile room key will be enabled at all U.S. properties of Conrad Hotels & Resorts beginning early 2015.
Rollout will continue across the U.S. properties of Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Canopy by Hilton properties beginning in summer 2015.

The technology extends beyond guest room access. First available on the Apple and Android versions of the Hilton HHonors mobile app, guests can use a smartphone to access other areas of each property that require a room key, such as the fitness center, executive floors, elevators and parking facilities.

Looking ahead to 2016, Hilton plans to deploy the technology across 11 brands globally.

The hospitality company said it is delivering as promised the global deployment of Hilton’s digital check-in with room selection functionality – one month ahead of schedule. “Room selection will be rolled out in its entirety by the end of this November at more than 4,100 properties globally,” said Calpin.

Since the launch of room selection this summer, one-third of eligible guests have already used the function and more than 90 percent were “satisfied” or “extremely satisfied” with the experience and said they would use it again.

“We are providing guests with the digital tools they desire. We expect high adoption of mobile room key, just as we’ve seen with room selection,” says Calpin. “We are reshaping the way guests dream, book and stay with us – helping earn their loyalty and affinity for our brands.”