Hilton is rolling out a cloud-based hotel Property Engagement Platform, co-developed by Hilton and HotelKey, at more than 1,000 properties within the company's portfolio. The platform’s ability to speed computer-based transactions at the front desk and throughout the hotel is helping reduce guest waits and increase the amount of time hotel team members can dedicate to providing personalized service.
Homewood Suites Largo Washington D.C. in Largo, Md., is one of the first hotels in Hilton’s portfolio to implement the platform and is a testbed for the project rollout, which will reach more than 7,000 hotels worldwide over the next three years.
“Since implementing the PEP solution in early 2022, we rarely have a line at our front desk, allowing us to spend more time connecting with our guests,” Andron Gordon, the hotel's GM, said in a statement. “Our regular, extended-stay guests are even noticing the dramatic changes in efficiency. We are huge fans of PEP.”
Gordon credits the platform for reducing the amount of time for team member training, reducing day-to-day technology and billing errors, and enabling more time to build relationships with their guests.
According to a recent Hilton report, “The 2023 Traveler: Emerging Trends that are Innovating the Travel Experience,” more than half (56 percent) of consumers planning travel in 2023 said they want an easier, or “frictionless” travel experience this year. PEP, which was co-created with Hilton for exclusive use at Hilton properties, enables the company to incorporate a suite of integrated software solutions to streamline operations, address guest and team member needs and identify cost efficiencies within one standard platform that can be scaled worldwide. The collaboration aims to improve the guest experience across Hilton’s 19 brands and reduce team member upfront property management system training efforts from 40 hours to 4 hours, by providing access to HotelKey’s TrainKey solution.
“As a business of people serving people, we’re always looking for ways to deploy solutions that meet the evolving needs of our team members and our guests,” said Michael Leidinger, SVP and CIO, Hilton. “In addition to benefiting from our new property engagement platform, to achieve a more frictionless travel experience, guests can also engage in our other industry-leading digital innovations, such as enhanced booking options, Digital Key and Digital Key Share through the Hilton Honors app and personalized in-room technology.”