03.30.21A Decade of Innovation in Just One Year: Seven Surprising Ways the Pandemic Has Changed Hotels Forever

2. Contactless Guest Experience - From Check-In to Check-Out

'We will always be in the business of people serving people, but the pandemic has proven that many guests appreciate the ability to check-in, choose their room on their phone and walk straight to their room - where their phone is now their key. Fortunately, we are way ahead of the industry with so many of our hotels equipped for contactless arrival through the Hilton Honors app. Now we are working to make the experience even better.'

- Mike Gathright, senior vice president, customer experience

As consumer expectations shift, so does Hilton's approach to providing the best guest experience possible - and this means that future travelers will experience a digital transformation in hotels.

Before even stepping foot on property, guests are quickly embracing and opting for a contactless experience with the ability to check-in and choose their rooms from the palm of their hand using the Hilton Honors app.

When a guest uses the Hilton Honors mobile app to check-in online, they can also request a Digital Key on their smartphone to access their hotel room, fitness center, pool and other hotel areas requiring a key. After a long day of travel, Honors members can digitally check-in and swiftly bypass the Front Desk to head straight to their room, using Digital Key to unlock their door.

Since its 2015 launch, Hilton's industry-leading Digital Key technology has expanded rapidly. It is now available to guests in 80% of Hilton's more than 6,400 hotels in 45 countries around the world and has been used to electronically open more than 28 million doors.

The contactless options don't stop there. Three years ago, Hilton announced the launch of its proprietary, first-of-its-kind, high-tech guest room that enables guests to personalize and control every aspect of their stay from their mobile device. This technology also helps to reduce contact with some of those high-touch areas such as light switches, thermostats and TV remotes, providing guests with extra peace of mind, particularly given the current circumstances.

Aside from technology, travelers will also notice more minimalism within hotel rooms and community spaces. It has been a few years since Hilton removed extraneous items like throw pillows, but other similar items such as in-room notepads, pens, brochures and room-service menus are disappearing, too, replaced in some cases with QR codes.