Chris Silcock at Skift Data + AI Summit 2025 | Beyond the Booking: Using Data to Build Guest Loyalty
Join Hilton's President of Global Brands and Commercial Services, Chris Silcock, in conversation with Skift's Senior HospitalityΒ ...
President of Global Brands and Commercial Services, Hilton Worldwide
Search every verified Christopher Silcock interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote β each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. At the Skift Data + AI Summit in June 2025, Silcock discussed Hilton's use of data and artificial intelligence to improve guest loyalty and the on-property experience. He stated that Hilton had shifted its core technology to the cloud, enabling faster innovation)Skip, and described the deployment of messaging technology to 99% of hotels, which he said resulted in a three-point improvement in customer satisfaction. Silcock said Hilton's strategy is "brand-led, not platform-led," and that the company's AI focus is on enhancing the stay experience rather than just the booking process. He also noted that Hilton had transitioned its listening tools to allow for "micro listening" during a guest's stay. In a June 2021 interview on CNBC, Silcock reported that Hilton had a "blockbuster weekend" with 93% occupancy across the United States on a Saturday night, which he described as the best since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that he believed business travel would return to pre-pandemic levels and grow beyond that, citing pent-up demand. Silcock also noted that 60% of Hilton's pipeline was outside the U.S. and that the company expected one of its best years in China.
“Historically it's not an unfair suggestion that hotels have been behind the curve, in part because we've been focused on the experience, the human to human interaction, the service. But about 10 years ago, we started shifting our core technology into the cloud, which has allowed us to innovate much more quickly and con...”
“We have 8,600 hotels across 139 countries and moving property management systems into the cloud means we can deploy changes two or three times a month instead of once a year, enabling much faster innovation and better customer experiences.”
“Hilton's strategy is brand-led, not platform-led. While scale is important, customers want to consolidate travel with companies they trust to serve their needs anywhere, at any price point. So the platform is important, but the brand drives the experience and loyalty.”
“Our AI focus is on improving the stay experience itself, infusing data and AI into the on-property experience in meaningful ways that drive loyalty, higher returns, and growth, rather than just focusing on the dreaming, shopping, and booking stages.”
“By deploying messaging technology to 99% of our hotels, customers can interact with us via text, WhatsApp, or our Hilton Honors app, resulting in about a three-point improvement in customer satisfaction.”
“We collect millions of daily discussions between customers and hotels, allowing general managers to see the top five things they need to address to improve customer experience, and we can initiate workflows to ensure issues are resolved promptly, increasing customer satisfaction by 30 points.”
“Recognition is important for loyalty. Simple things like acknowledging a customer through the in-room TV make their stay feel more personalized. Advanced forecasting and pricing allow us to predict upgrade availability 48 hours in advance and notify customers, reducing anxiety and enhancing loyalty.”
“We use personalized email marketing based on customer interaction history, including what hotels they viewed or searched for, to deliver content that resonates and eventually connect this data to front desk staff for more meaningful conversations.”
“We are excited about the future of AI-driven conversational agents that can handle inquiries faster and more effectively, improving customer service. We expect significant advances in this area within 12 to 24 months.”
“Regarding distribution upheaval, I'm really excited and optimistic. If we succeed in delivering a better stay experience, customers will prefer Hilton regardless of the digital platforms they use, which will drive returns for owners and growth opportunities.”
“Across the United States we were 93% occupied on Saturday night, which is certainly the best since COVID hit β probably honestly the best Saturday night we've ever had.”
“The business is coming back very strong; it's obviously being led by leisure at the moment but business travel is starting to pick up some steam.”
“Our bookings for this summer at this point are higher than we saw in 2019 at the peak.”
“They're feeling safer as vaccination rates go up and it should be a really good summer for travel.”
“No, I absolutely believe back to pre-pandemic levels and then go beyond.”
Join Hilton's President of Global Brands and Commercial Services, Chris Silcock, in conversation with Skift's Senior HospitalityΒ ...
Hotel bookings are up as the economy reopens and we head into the summer travel season. Lodging stocks have soared over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500. Christopher Nassetta, Hilton Worldwide president and CEO, joined "Squawk Box" on Tuesday to discuss. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi Β» Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision Β» Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC Β» Subscribe to CNBC Classic: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCclassic Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysiβ¦
Sign in to search the full transcript archive, filter by topic, and access every quote from Christopher Silcock.
The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →