Hilton Debuting 'Connected Rooms' Controlled via Smartphone Next Year

[MacRumors]

Hilton today announced the upcoming debut of the "Connected Room," a high-tech guest room that will enable hotel guests to control the temperature, lighting, TV, window coverings, and more from their smartphones using the Hilton Honors app.

Guests will also be able to personalize their rooms using technology that loads popular streaming media and other accounts to their in-room TVs. Eventually, guests will also be able to use voice commands to access content and upload artwork and photos to display in their rooms.

Hilton already allows guests to use the Hilton Honors app to check into their rooms and open their room doors using their smartphones, but with the Connected Room expansion, additional in-room controls will be available.

"At Hilton, almost all digital products are born out of necessity and shortcomings in the marketplace - and Connected Room is no exception," said Joshua Sloser, senior vice president of Digital Product, Hilton. "The technology we put in hotel rooms has to be intuitive, simple and quick to pick up because guests typically spend a limited amount of time in their rooms and we want them to spend that time enjoying the experience instead of adapting to new technology."

The Connected Room is live in one Hilton hotel and will deploy "in the coming weeks" to several more before rolling out on a wider scale in 2018.

Article Link: Hilton Debuting 'Connected Rooms' Controlled via Smartphone Next Year

 

[redneckitengineer]

If it’s anything like their digital room key, the franchises will refuse to pay for it. It’ll only be installed to new builds, and after 6 years of rollout...only work at like 1 in 100 of the Hilton branded hotels. Blah blah blah... Hilton diamond complaining here.

 

[adamjackson]

Requires iOS 11.2 or higher?

 

[Scooz]

It said „Hilton debugging...“ before I clicked it. I swear!!

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Does this mean when I drunkenly lose my key card, I can still get in, until I lose my phone too?!

 

[ILikeAllOS]

Will this use HomeKit; the same HomeKit that Apple just had to patch because of a security vulnerability?

 

[Baumi]

It said „Hilton debugging...“ before I clicked it. I swear!!

My first thought on reading the headline was: “So they will have doors between rooms?”

I blame it on lack of sleep.

 

[Superhai]

Does this mean when I drunkenly lose my key card, I can still get in, until I lose my phone too?!

Yes you can that already. At least at some select properties. The new is that you are able to control the temperature, so when you wake up with insane hangover you also freeze your ass off, because cold room seemed like a good idea when you fell asleep!

 

[Altis]

How is this any better?

Downloading and setting up an app and probably account, etc, just to turn on the lights or adjust the climate?

And enjoy a nice Safari refresh when I try to go back to what I was doing, no doubt.

 

[NuSyns]

The app works well to open the door.

Here are a few screenshots

Hilton today announced the upcoming debut of the "Connected Room," a high-tech guest room that will enable hotel guests to control the temperature, lighting, TV, window coverings, and more from their smartphones using the Hilton Honors app.

Guests will also be able to personalize their rooms using technology that loads popular streaming media and other accounts to their in-room TVs. Eventually, guests will also be able to use voice commands to access content and upload artwork and photos to display in their rooms.

Hilton already allows guests to use the Hilton Honors app to check into their rooms and open their room doors using their smartphones, but with the Connected Room expansion, additional in-room controls will be available.The Connected Room is live in one Hilton hotel and will deploy "in the coming weeks" to several more before rolling out on a wider scale in 2018.

Article Link: Hilton Debuting 'Connected Rooms' Controlled via Smartphone Next Year

 

[RickeshPatel]

If it’s anything like their digital room key, the franchises will refuse to pay for it. It’ll only be installed to new builds, and after 6 years of rollout...only work at like 1 in 100 of the Hilton branded hotels. Blah blah blah... Hilton diamond complaining here.

Hilton hasn’t mentioned any of this to us and we are opening at the end of the month. We are putting in the Bluetooth/nfc capable locks though. Also glad to tell you we are putting chromecasts in the rooms - this is through a hotel specific solution. Any property has to follow the requirements in the window that a brand gives.

 

[scottrngr]

I've found it is much easier to use the key card rather than fumbling with my phone to unlock the door. I do like the choose your room feature of the Hilton app, and always use it to book my room.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Somehow I don't have much faith they will pull it off well.

 

[lunarworks]

There's no way this won't be abused. Within a year someone will find a way to hack other rooms.

 

[meaning-matters]

Nice idea to meet new people