Hilton Hotels Case Study
Examining key factors influencing customer decisions, particularly focusing on loyalty programs, business travelers, and leisure travelers.
Research Results
Research Results
Loyalty Program
Factors that motivate customers to sign up for hotel loyalty programs
Free/discounted rooms
e.g., stay at Hilton once as a member, get your next stay half off.
Discounts for birthdays, anniversaries.
Lower room rates for members.
Surprise upgrades.
Quick access to benefits
“I don’t want to have to wait weeks to have access to my benefits. I want some sort of immediate payoff.”
Positive past experiences with brand
Giving customers positive experience during their initial interactions/stays with Hilton suggests a higher likelihood to sign up for rewards.
Reward system transparency
Clear rules and restrictions.
No expiration dates for points/rewards earned.
Factors that deter customers from hotel loyalty programs
Cost
Perceived high costs associated with membership or stays.
Poor reviews/experiences
Seeing bad reviews of hotel, bad past experiences with brand.
Complicated rewards system
Unclear rules and restrictions, expiring points, “hidden” small print.
Fees & Communications
Some individuals expressed aversion to any form of fees and concerns about receiving excessive marketing communications, which they find intrusive and off-putting.
Business Travelers
What do business travelers prioritize when selecting a hotel?
Cleanliness
Past positive experiences
Hotel brand name
can influence decisions due to trust and perceived quality.
Ease of booking/checkout
Location
Newly remodeled facilities
Alternative financing options
i.e., credit card points that transfer
UX Recommendations
UX Recommendations
Map Function Adjustments
Many users indicated that location and proximity to planned activities and business centers was a deciding factor when choosing a hotel, and allowing them to see which hotels are closest to their planned activities directly on the website has the potential to reduce user frustration and abandonment.
Availability of workout facility
Kid-friendly features
i.e., balconies that are not a fall risk for toddlers.
Proximity to work/business needs
On-site restaurant
Positive brand reviews
Free breakfast
Leisure Travelers
What are the key considerations for leisure travelers when selecting a hotel?
Free breakfast
On-site swimming pool
Aesthetic
some travelers more swayed by aesthetics and modern style of rooms.
On-site fitness facilities
Loyalty Program Changes
The following recommendations are based off both users interviews and pain points noted during contextual inquiry and user interviews.
Make loyalty program details more readily available and clearly explained. Convoluted information regarding the loyalty program deters users, and some found little to no value in the explanation of Hilton’s loyalty program, leading to confusion and unwillingness to sign up.
Many users mentioned cost is an issue with loyalty programs. A good way to remedy this would be to adjust the price of membership, or coordinate with a credit card company where money back can be directly translated into membership points to be used at Hilton. Highlight these details in the loyalty program description.
Highlight perks (i.e., free upgrades, stays, discounts) in the loyalty program description, as these were factors that users mentioned would motivate them to sign up for a loyalty program. Highlighting these features early in the description will keep users engaged with the program as they read on.
Study Details & Notes
Study Details & Notes
Objectives
Learn user preferences when traveling for business and leisure
Generate ideas on how to improve the guest experience
Make recommendations to improve booking experience for guests
Make recommendations for the Hilton Loyalty Program
Research Methods
User interviews
Participants were asked a series of questions relating to their travel preferences, as well as motivating and deterring factors for signing up for loyalty programs.
Contextual inquiry
User research method where participants are observed while they perform tasks and simultaneously talk about their thoughts and feelings while they perform them. Participants were asked to book a hotel room first using their usual preferred method with a brand of their choosing, and then using the Hilton desktop website.
Loyalty Program Data
| User 1 | User 2 | User 3 | User 4 | User 5 | User 6 | User 7 | User 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features that would discourage you to sign up for a loyalty program | High cost | High cost, bad reviews, previously had a bad stay | High cost | N/A | Convoluted rewards system/confusing rules | Expiring points | Costs/fees (would never pay to be a member) | Getting bombarded with emails, texts, etc. |
| Features that would motivate you to sign up for a loyalty program | Reward types, Length of time to receive rewards | Discounts, free nights, if previously had good stay | Discount for next stay & special events (birthday) | Discounts, good deals, free rooms, free nights | Clear reward+points to cash based system | No expiration dates on points/rewards | No fee to be member, credit card points to loyalty points, free nights, upgrades, amenities, lower rate than reg. customers | Will not sign up for any program "because they are all basically the same" |
Business Traveler Data
| User 1 | User 2 | User 3 | User 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features you care about most when choosing hotel | Cleanliness, rewards, proximity to highway/work | Cost, proximity to work, good reviews | Cost, cleanliness, room door being inside building, low noise during day, proximity to live music | Location, having good past experience, simple/easy/hassle-free booking & checkout |
| Factors that influence choosing one hotel over another (same price, location) | Newly remodeled, workout facility, restaurant/free breakfast | Reviews, proximity to work | Goes for brand name, reputation | Prefers familiar hotel (one they've stayed at before) |
Leisure Traveler Data
| User 1 | User 2 | User 3 | User 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features you care about most when choosing hotel | Breakfast, swimming pool, aesthetically pleasing for photoshoots | Modern style rooms, fitness center, swimming pool, amenities | Price, package deals, brand name, pet friendly, location, alternative financing options (credit card points) | Location, price, breakfast, WiFi, fitness center, kid-friendly |