Travel Customer Experience Becomes Inherently Mobile at Starwood Hotels and Resorts

Customer experience in the travel industry certainly isn’t immune from the impact that mobile has in today’s loyalty marketing world.

Just ask Julie Atkinson, Senior Vice President, Global Digital, at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.
“The travel experience has become inherently mobile, and we know our members expect to use their mobile devices to enrich their experiences,” Atkinson told Loyalty360. “While this behavior change has been evident in the hospitality industry, it’s certainly not limited to just our brand or vertical. Technology touches every aspect of our lives. At Starwood, we are adapting to this ongoing evolution of customer behavior by continuing to integrate mobile technology into all aspects of the guest experience, both in booking and planning, as well as on property. We know there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach for our loyal customers, and we’ve witnessed how the power of technology can help a traditional hospitality company deliver high-touch personalized service that our loyal customers have grown to expect.”

For example, Atkinson noted, customers are increasingly bypassing other channels to book directly on Starwood sites.

“And with mobile as our fastest-growing channel, we believe it is only a matter of time until mobile bookings are one of our primary global sources of revenue,” she said. “Overall mobile gross bookings increased more than 50 % in 2014, and our growth is even more dramatic in 2015. More than half of our site visits come through mobile devices.”

Mobile is clearly Starwood’s fastest growing channel. 

“Our members are passionate and engaged, with nearly 1.4 million active members on the SPG app – including 79% of Platinums and 55% of Golds – proving that the streamlined interface, stronger integration with SPG Keyless and robust ‘in-stay’ mode matter to our most frequent guests,” Atkinson said. “The SPG App has become the ‘remote control’ for our guests with app usage up 90% year over year.”  
To appeal to specific customer needs on the right channel, Starwood created unique content and functionality for particular mobile devices.

“For example, we developed our smartphone app with the mobile traveler in mind, easy to use with ‘one eye and one thumb’ while walking through an airport, whereas our iPad app was designed for a more leisurely interaction, a ‘lean back’ moment, encouraging travelers to explore and dream about different destinations,” Atkinson explained. “We also extended the SPG app to wearables – for example with Apple Watch – which allows our developers to leverage new form factors to enhance guests’ interaction with Starwood.”
SPG Keyless is another example.

“We recognized our tech-savvy guests manage most aspects of their life and travel from their smartphone and that many no longer want to keep track of or fumble with keycards each time they enter their room,” Atkinson said. “By redefining the way guests arrive and check in to their rooms, we’re bringing a new level of convenience and ease to a process that can be a significant traveler pain point. To leverage the power of mobile means being nimble, listening to members, and constantly asking how to enhance guests’ and employees’ experiences with mobile technology. We aim to implement mobile technology into every aspect of our business, from the guest experience, to the way we operate our hotels, to how we engage with our guests and employees.”

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