The Wall Street Journal published an interesting article on Hilton's plans to invest $550 million in technology solutions that will empower guests to use "smartphones to choose rooms, check in and even unlock doors." From the customer's perspective, such a system - if implemented properly - solves a number of problems: Ensuring the best available room choice (as with airline seat choosing apps); no more waiting in line just to check-in; no more lost (or demagnetized) hotel room key cards.
From Hilton's perspective, the business benefits could be substantial: Driving loyalty and active preference for Hilton hotels; better customer satisfaction and customer experience scores; and up-sell to more services. For example, at check-in, promotions for room upgrades can be presented right on the user's smartphone, potentially increasing the chance of acceptance.
Disney's MagicBand: A $1 Billion Technology Investment In Customer Experience
Yet it's not just Hilton - nor just smartphones - at play here. Starwood is rolling out similar functionality in its apps for W Hotels and aloft. Other mobile solutions employ wearable technologies in "B2B2C" scenarios - i.e. instances in which the company provides the wearable tech to customers:
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