COMPANY // Marriott International 
SOLUTION // Marriott Check In/Out Mobile App
MY WORK //
HIGHLIGHTS //
- Marriott’s first iOS & Android native mobile app
- Consulted with Marriott’s CEO, Arne M. Sorenson, on mobile strategy and requirements
- Allows Marriott guests to quickly check-in and check-out of hotel rooms
- Led collaboration across Operations, Marketing, Loyalty, Branding, Design, and Development departments and with development vendor
THE PROBLEM //
Marriott guests frequently experienced long lines at the front desk of many Marriott hotels during peak hours for checking in and out. This caused a lot of frustration with guests and often diminished their amazing experience they received during their stay.
THE SOLUTION //
Marriott’s CEO, Arne Sorenson, gave us the goal of deploying new innovations to resolve these guest frustrations, as well as appeal to Millennial guests with the hopes of capturing a larger market share. I worked with leadership across various departments to gather requirements, design the experience, develop sprint plans, and coordinate marketing for launch. This was the very first Marriott digital product aimed at younger hotel guests – specifically the Millennial generation – because they are more tech savvy and represent a large portion of mobile device usage.
We utilized Human-Centered Design in order to bring a clearer focus on the user mindset to ensure that the Check In/Out mobile app we built was going to be relevant, beneficial, and meet the needs of our guests.
We first launched the Check In/Out mobile app in June 2013 for use at 30 hotels in the U.S., and then expanded to 329 hotels in the U.S. and Canada, followed by international expansion to 19 countries around the world.
This represented the broadest mobile offering of its kind in the lodging industry, and received critical acclaim around the world in by media and industry insiders.
All Marriott Rewards members were eligible for the service, where they’re able to check in after 4 p.m. the day before their arrival. Once their room is ready, they’ll get an automatic notification. Because their credit card information is already stored in their Marriott Rewards profiles, all they have to do once they arrive at the hotel is walk up to a mobile check-in desk and pick up their pre-programmed key card.
Guests can access the mobile check-in feature by downloading the free Marriott mobile app from the Apple iTunes Store or Google Play (previously a separate app, where it’s now bundled with the main Marriott Mobile App).
Due to the success of Marriott’s Check In/Out mobile application, the feature rapidly spread to other hotel chains.
IN THE NEWS //
- USA Today: Marriott hotels expand mobile check-in
- HospitalityNet: Mobile Check-In Goes Global at Marriott Hotels
- Skift: Marriott Rewards members can skip registration desk with mobile check-ins
LET’S DISRUPT THE FUTURE //
Contact me if you want to break some rules and change the world. Or join the disruption using the Follow button in the bottom right corner of this page.
