jimmc66

I've been an early adopter of most of the travel apps on the iPhone platform. I was happy that Hilton was one of the leaders with this technology, including the ability to check-in 24 hours before and the use of the app to open doors - both your guest room as well as exterior doors to the hotel. This has improved security for guests and saved me time.

Recently however I've noticed subtle changes to the app that are discouraging me from its use. Previously when checking-in, you are asked to select a room and maps of the various floors are presented with possible room choices for the category you've booked. I've now noticed however that the only selections offered are rooms that are generally not optimum for privacy and noise. This past weekend I was at a Hampton Inn near Charleston, South Carolina. Five floors of hotel, not particularly busy on a Sunday evening, and the only rooms offered were two or three at adjacent to the elevators. The noisiest place on the floor.

And when I arrived at the hotel, after check-in time, the selected room was not not available still "uncleaned". You'd think they would clean the preselected rooms first!

And I note that offers of upgrades are NEVER made via the app.

I've now mostly stopped using the app to do these functions, preferring instead to interact with a desk clerk to ensure I'm comfortable.

Dracarys

I rarely pick my room ahead of time due to these exact reasons. I am not sure how the inventory works, but I want to be as far away from the elevator as possible.

aww3583

Something's definitely changed with the iOS app.

• I'm enrolled in the Digital Key promotion for this quarter. It never posts correctly despite me using DK. It's not worth the time and effort to reach out to Hilton each time to correct the missing points.
• Late last year, the app began showing opportunities to purchase upgrades during the digital check-in process. This functionality is gone.
• I'm on my 6th stay of the year right now. For 4 of those stays, digital check-in didn't even work. I'd get to the "select a room" screen and an error message would say "Oops, it looks like no rooms are available at this time."

the810

I get an upgrade almost everytime, but it's usually something pathetic like executive room, high floor, etc. This happens every before the check-in.

I agree that the selection of rooms during the digital check-in is poor and apparantely not the entire inventory. I have personally stopped doing digital check-in - the concept is great, but the execution is extremely poor.

Bartolo

If it’s a property I am familiar with, I call a day or two beforehand and have had good luck with them blocking a room for me. Last summer I called a HGI in a busy tourist area where I reserved months earlier. I wasn’t familiar with the property but read up on trip advisor so knew what might be a better room choice for me. Front desk was terrific. Blocked a room that was a perfect choice.

I have had a CSA at the front desk admit they don’t load all rooms to the digital app. In one instance at a property I know well, I used the app to pick my preferred room. Arrived the next day to be told not available. Since I could prove (screenshot) I successfully checked into that room, I requested a an explanation. I was told previous guest decided to stay. That didn’t make sense.

bse118

The app is, and always has been, only useful for booking stays.

Online check-in, digital keys, etc.: utterly pointless IMO

hotturnip

It does make sense, to me at least. In some states (like where i worked) it was against the law to toss someone out of a room they had checked into, even if they extended their stay.

Baze

As a person who has extended stays I could believe your room became not available due to guest not checking out.

HHonors OUTSIDER

I have definitely noticed a change when using the app to select a room. What happened to automatic upgrade's a few days before arrival? I think in the past I received emails about being upgrade

the810

I don't receive emails most of the time, but I still get upgrades. Half of them is at T-72, the rest usually happens on the day of arrival in the morning. I can't remember the last time I had no upgrade, though as I said above, they're often quite uninspiring.

smmrfld

Pre-arrival upgrades are only required to be offered if the property is below a certain occupancy level. I receive them fairly often.

tschwartz

I've never been offered or received an upgraded room after checking in through the app. I've needed to use the app when I'm arriving late and want to go straight to my room bypassing the front desk check-in. More time than not, the online check-in either errors out or I check-in but the digital key doesn't work when I get to the room requiring me to backtrack and spend even more time at the front desk than I would have spent if I just went to the front desk originally. It's happened often enough I've now completely stopped checking in via the app. To compound the service issue, frequently, front desk employees tell me the digital key works and that I must have not done something properly or just give me a physical key without any comments on the poor service and inconvenience. The front desk staff at the Conrad Midtown literally threw the key at me across the front desk and walked away. Don't use the app.

I should add that the only situations where I do use the app is when my wife is traveling under a reservation in my name at a property that won't provide a meaningful upgrade such as at HGI. I check in online to avoid her having any front desk issues.

Phrastus

Hilariously I've had reception tell me that checking in via the app makes it "harder" for them to then create a keycard for me. Well, my friend, in that case, either remove the functionality or make sure it works. Sheesh... do you all actually _want_ my money?

Stripe

I have never trusted the digital keys, so no loss there.

I received upgrades in advance at two hotels in/near AMS in the last couple of weeks. One was preannounced via email, the other I saw when I went to check in. I have never seen upgrades granted at the time of online check in. If I haven't been upgraded in advance I just ask at the desk.

Interesting info on not all available rooms being loaded for online check in. Here again, if I don't see anything I like in advance I don't complete the check in and just ask at the desk. I always put a "high floor and away from elevator" note in the requests.

I guess I just have set my expectations for the app appropriately. It does a decent job of booking new rooms, managing bookings, and managing the HH account. In the world of travel apps, that's above average.

formeraa

I used the app exactly once. The above happened to me. I never used it again.

I think the hotels are limiting availability through the app. I don't think it's a Hilton problem -- it makes sense that the hotel wants to control room assignments.