Hilton offers e-check via iPhone

November 10, 2009 | Hospitality Industry

Hilton's new iPhone applications have features that are a first for the hotel industry including a “Request Upon Arrival” service that enables a traveler to place an order for room service and have a meal in the guestroom upon arrival, and “e-check in,” a feature that provides remote check-in up to 48 hours in advance.

Hilton Worldwide announced today that it is launching the most comprehensive iPhone and iTouch applications in the lodging industry. The company unveiled the new applications across seven hotel brands including its Conrad, Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and Hampton Inn brands in the United States. The new applications have features that are a first for the hotel industry including a “Request Upon Arrival” service that enables a traveler to place an order for room service and have a meal in the guestroom upon arrival at the Hilton, Doubletree and Embassy Suites brands. The new applications also offer “e-check in,” a feature that provides remote check-in up to 48 hours in advance.

The announcement comes as the industry is experiencing an increase in hotel reservations made on mobile devices. Hilton Worldwide reports a 59 percent increase in mobile revenue, during the third quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2009, generated primarily from the company’s mobile-enabled website. The company’s mobile revenue has increased every quarter in 2009.

“Our new iPhone and iTouch applications are like having a hotel concierge in your pocket 24 hours-a-day seven days-a-week. We are constantly working to anticipate our guests’ needs and this is a great way for us to make the entire hotel experience more convenient,” said Paul Brown, President of Global Brands and Commercial Services, Hilton Worldwide.

The Hilton and Doubletree brand’s iPhone and iTouch applications will be available first, and the other brands launching applications during November and December 2009. The new applications enable guests to manage their hotel experience from the palm of their hand and provide the following features:

- Search for hotels nearby via address, city, airport or even GPS mapping
- Make a new hotel reservation at any of Hilton Worldwide’s 3,400 hotels
- View, modify and cancel existing reservations
- Check-in online up to 48 hours in advance for gold and diamond members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest program
- Order food and/or services to be available “upon arrival” at the Hilton, Doubletree Embassy Suites and brands
- Redeem points and stays for members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest program
- Check point balances for members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest program

The announcement comes after Hilton Worldwide has already enjoyed one of the most successful mobile optimized websites in the industry which was launched more than two years ago. In addition, the company has already launched an iPhone application for the Hilton brand in the United Kingdom. Additional markets are being evaluated for mobile applications with a focus on countries such as Germany and Japan that have high concentrations of people who use mobile devices.