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Dana Shefsky has worked at Hilton for more than 16 years. As director of digital product innovation Shefksy brings her experience as a former software consultant to her role in managing the design and development of technology to improve the Hilton guest experience and hotel operations. In 2015, Hilton’s loyalty program Hilton HHonors had a surge of new member enrollments—1.6 million guests to be exact—which Shefsky attributes mostly to the success of new digital technology in its properties.
The editors of Mobile Strategies 360 asked Shefsky about her company’s mobile achievements, the mobile initiatives she is currently working on and the mobile trends on her radar. We also asked for tips on how to get the biggest return on mobile investments.
Q: What are you working on right now with mobile?
A: We have a number of mobile and app-focused projects in the pipeline right now. We recently partnered with Uber to add new features to the HHonors app that make it easier for our guests to travel like locals while they stay with us. Ride Reminder sends automated notifications to remind guests to order transportation to and from the hotel. Local Scene is an exclusive list of popular restaurants and nightlife locations hosted in the HHonors app and chosen based on Uber rider drop-off/pick-up data. This is the first time a company has leveraged Uber’s rider data to provide local recommendations.
Additionally, I’ve been leading the development and implementation of our Digital Key feature, which allows HHonors members to use their smartphone as their hotel room key. Digital Key is currently live at more than 120 properties across the U.S. After a successful beta testing rollout in July 2015, we intend to roll out Digital Key to all U.S. full-service hotels and select international locations by the end of 2016.
Q: What is a challenge you had when implementing or using mobile technology at your company?
A: When we launched digital check-in with room selection we wanted to bring the feature to scale very quickly. It was a huge undertaking. In order for guests to choose their rooms, we had to create digital floor plans for 750,000-plus rooms across 4,500 properties in nearly 100 different countries. Each property floor plan needed to be compatible with various mobile devices and easy for guests to understand and navigate. When we implemented the tool, it was key that we kept an open line of communication with all teams involved—from top to bottom. This helped us work efficiently through issues and seamlessly move forward with implementation.
Q: What is the one piece of advice you would offer to another mobile executive looking for help growing his/her mobile strategy and ROI?
A: There is a lot of pressure on companies to innovate and come up with the next big thing to disrupt the industry. But you shouldn’t innovate for innovation’s sake. We try to focus on enhancing the processes, such as check-in, that affect every guest no matter where they stay with us. We don’t pursue gimmicks or technologies with only near-term value.
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