Booking connecting hotel rooms can be complicated
There are a lot of people staying at hotels with friends and family members, booking multiple rooms. While some people may specifically want rooms not next to one another, others greatly value having connecting rooms. That’s probably especially true for families with kids, where it’s convenient to be able to get between rooms with ease, and to create a larger living space.
The catch is that actually confirming connecting rooms can be complicated:
Many hotel brands will only put in a request for connecting rooms, and won’t guarantee them until you check-in
Even hotels that let you confirm connecting rooms usually make it quite complicated, typically not showing online which rooms can connect, and also not letting you book connecting rooms online
It’s 2021, so why has this been so complicated? I’d argue that it’s less of a technological limitation, but rather more about logistics. Guaranteeing connecting rooms makes it harder for hotels to maximize revenue and inventory.
Assigning rooms can already be a jigsaw puzzle based on check-in and check-out times, bed types, elite status, etc., and connecting rooms is just a further factor that complicates things. So I think we haven’t seen much innovation in this area because it wasn’t required in order to be competitive.
Hilton now makes it easy to book confirmed connecting rooms
Hilton has just rolled out a program called Confirmed Connecting Rooms by Hilton, making Hilton the first major hotel company to introduce a booking experience allowing you to instantly confirm two or more connecting rooms online.
This has started to roll-out globally, and will be available when booking through Hilton channels. How do you go about booking connecting rooms with Hilton?
First you have to select the desired number of rooms, along with the destination and dates, and then choose your hotel
When selecting a room, check the box to indicate that you’re interested in connecting rooms
Lastly, select each connecting room at the desired rates, and book your stay with instant confirmation
Bottom line
Hilton has become the first major hotel group to let people search and confirm connecting rooms online during the booking process. This is a fantastic innovation that I know many families will really appreciate.
Here’s to hoping that this puts the pressure on other hotel groups to roll out a similar functionality…
Anyone appreciate this new connecting room feature from Hilton?