Hilton app shows UX fragmentation risk

- The Hilton Honors app aims to create a seamless guest experience by offering features like digital check-in, room selection from a floor plan, and a digital key to unlock doors. - A core point of friction is the Digital Key feature; users report that it can be unreliable, sometimes failing to work and locking them out of their rooms, with technical support not always equipped to resolve the issue quickly. - According to hospitality tech experts, a common reason for digital key failures, around 65% of cases, is related to incorrect app permissions on the user's smartphone. - Hilton has invested significantly in its mobile technology, spending over $100 million to develop the digital key system and an additional $550 million on the underlying tech infrastructure. - The challenge of a consistent user experience is a broader issue in the hospitality industry, where hotel groups consist of thousands of independently owned properties with varying levels of technology adoption. - User interface and user experience have been a focus of redesign efforts; one case study detailed a revamp of the home screen to reduce unused space and better highlight promotions, which resulted in users spending more time on the screen. - Despite aiming for a contactless experience, some users report that the digital key still has to be set up by the front desk upon arrival, and others have experienced the app automatically placing the digital key on the wrong device without asking. - Recent user complaints following app updates have cited a difficult-to-read interface with muted colors and oddly placed buttons, as well as changes to the map function that make it harder to locate hotels by brand.