Hilton Moderated Research Study
Working on a User Experience Research team for The Hilton Hotel Group we were tasked with researching goals related to the needs of business and leisure travelers when booking hotel rooms and the adjoining loyalty program.
Problem
Hilton's senior leadership, including executives from the Loyalty Program, Marketing, Business Travel, and Software Development Services came up with three key questions to focus our research on in order to better understand how their users make decisions booking rooms and signing up for their loyalty program.
These questions are:
● Why do people choose to sign up for or bypass the loyalty program?
● What do business travelers look for when evaluating properties and choosing a room to book?
● What do leisure travelers look for when evaluating properties and choosing a room to book?
Approach
Usability Sessions/User Interviews
We used a group of six participants with a mix of business and leisure travel experience. Qualitative methods of user interviews and observations were used to collect information about the research goals. The combination of these methods allowed us to hear user feedback (attitudinal), while also seeing the users interact with the interface (behavioral), which provided information that users otherwise may not be able to verbalize. The participant sessions were recorded via video and audio with their consent.
Data Collection and Analysis
At the conclusion of the sessions, the research team analyzed the recordings and compiled findings using both note analysis and affinity diagramming. These findings will informed our recommendations, which are ranked based on priority and presented in this comprehensive report.
Goals
The goals of this usability testing project were to:
● Observe participants booking a room and identify their motivations to sign up for or bypass the loyalty program .
● Evaluate participants process of booking a business reservation. Identify what participants look for, their needs and wants when making a business reservation.
● Evaluate participants process of booking a leisure reservation. Identify what participants look for, their needs and wants when making a leisure reservation.
Data Analysis
Loyalty Program Equals Discounts
All six participants mentioned discounts multiple times when discussing the loyalty program.
Business Travel Comfort and Convenience on the Road
Participants want to look for hotels that provide amenities that are “most comfortable for this awkward situation”. Location to the office, free wifi, free breakfast and/or an on site restaurant to make their stay comfortable and convenient.
Leisure Travel is a Stress Free Getaway
Participants want to be close to the beach and attractions while having perks like a hotel pool or hot tub. Short term rental services like Airbnb and VRBO give participants some of the comforts of home when making their leisure accommodations.
Results: Loyalty Program
4/6 Participants are signed up for a hotel loyalty program.
One of the two who aren't signed up was going to sign up but didn’t because they had recently been laid off.
6/6 Participants expect discounts and or better rates with a loyalty program.
3/6 Participants had some level of difficulty finding where to sign up for the loyalty program.
2/6 Participants said they would sign up for the loyalty program because they can see the discounted rate.
Recommendations
● Make sure loyalty program is easy to find and properly labelled in the navigation.
○ "if someone is specifically looking for a loyalty program then match the words"
○ “I’m guessing this is the loyalty program. I guess I’m not sure.”
● Make benefits and perks of the loyalty program more apparent in the content of the pages.
Results: Business Travel
6/6 Participants listed location or proximity to the office as a “must have” feature.
5/6 Participants avoid hotels that are “scary”, “low budget”, “low star” or in “sketchy neighborhoods”.
5/6 Participants looked for free wifi.
5/6 Participants looked for food options ranging from free breakfast, restaurant onsite to location to restaurants nearby.
Recommendations
● Provide information about the area surrounding the hotel including a walkability score, safety ratings and nearby food and shopping options.
● Make sure hotel amenities such as free wifi and free breakfast are available and advertised on the website.
Results: Leisure Travel
4/6 Participants prefer short term rental options like Airbnb or VRBO for leisure travel.
5/6 Participants listed proximity to attractions as an important feature.
3/6 Participants listed high ratings as a deciding factor when choosing a hotel.
6/6 Participants wanted premium amenities like a pool, hot tub or a spa.
Recommendations
● Conduct a separate study to identify how the hotel can entice users who choose short term rentals for their leisure travel accommodations.
● Ensure users are aware of nearby attractions, like the beach, restaurants and sightseeing locations.
● Make sure users are aware of premium amenities such as pool, hot tub, and spa.
● Make hotel rating visible for travelers on the website.
Prioritized Recommendations
High
● Make sure loyalty program is easy to find and properly labelled in the navigation.
● Conduct a separate study to identify how the hotel can entice users who choose short term rentals for their leisure travel accommodations.
Medium
● Make benefits and perks of the loyalty program more apparent in the content of the pages.
● Provide information about the area surrounding the hotel including a walkability score, safety ratings and nearby food and shopping options.
● Ensure leisure travelers are aware of nearby attractions, like the beach, restaurants and sightseeing locations.
Low
● Make sure hotel amenities such as free wifi and free breakfast are available and advertised on the website.
● Make sure leisure travelers are aware of premium amenities such as pool, hot tub, and spa.
● Make hotel rating visible for travelers on the website.
Lessons Learned
Using a screener survey to start, the team was able to identify qualified participants for the study.
Our team looked for participants who fit both business and leisure travelers. The difference in their needs drew quite a contrast, most notably the preference of short term rentals (like Airbnb or VRBO) for leisure travel.
We used an affinity diagram for analyzing and synthesizing our data, which helped organize our notes into actionable recommendations.
Hilton Full Report PDF