The surge that Hilton Worldwide has seen this year in its iPhone application downloads and mobile room bookings surprises even Chuck Sullivan, the company’s senior vice president of global online services.
“It’s interesting how quickly consumers have adopted the use of mobile phones to make and change hotel reservations,” Sullivan told Barbara De Lollis from USA TODAY recently during a phone interview.
Hilton in November 2009 launched the first of its chain-specific apps, and last month launched the seventh – and final – app for its luxury Waldorf-Astoria brand. Just three months later, Hilton’siPhone apps had been downloaded 126,000 times. So today?
As of August, travelers have downloaded Hilton-brand apps 340,000 times, he says.
To read the full Chuck Sullivan interview with Barbara De Lollis from USA TODAY, click here