Hilton Waikiki Beach Launches Virtual Reality Mobile App
The pre-arrival destination experience has now reached new heights for visitors planning a stay at the Hilton Waikiki Beach on Oahu. The Hilton property has become the first hotel in Hawaii to launch a stand-alone virtual reality (VR) app experience for mobile users.
The property partnered with the New York City-based VR and immersive technology provider YouVisit to create this one-of-a-kind program. It provides potential guests with an accurate impression of what their stay will be like with the hotel. Available as a 360° video tour on desktop, as well as a fully immersive VR experience on headsets, the experience visually creates an extension of the hotel’s experience, which is a convenient location with true ocean and mountain views from modern and clean guestrooms.
The desktop 360° experience also offers advanced options from booking a reservation to simply clicking on “hot spots” to view video that lets the user envision the hotel as a wedding destination, or read historical background about the hotel’s original namesake, Prince Kuhio. The unique mobile app allows viewers to enjoy the experience in full immersive virtual reality. By using their smartphones with common headsets like Google Cardboard or Daydream, viewers can look around and feel like they’re really there.
“We are thrilled to use virtual reality to showcase what really sets us apart – our beautiful ocean and mountain views in a tranquil and convenient location on Kuhio Avenue,” says Sandy Narvaez, director of sales and marketing of Hilton Waikiki Beach. “Truly, aside from being here physically, virtual reality is the next best thing to enable our clients and guest to experience our hotel before they arrive.”
The tours are currently available in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. To view the VR, guests may visit the hotel’s website or Android phone users can search ‘Hilton Waikiki Beach’ in the Google Play store to download the mobile app. The iTunes app will be available soon.
The property partnered with the New York City-based VR and immersive technology provider YouVisit to create this one-of-a-kind program. It provides potential guests with an accurate impression of what their stay will be like with the hotel. Available as a 360° video tour on desktop, as well as a fully immersive VR experience on headsets, the experience visually creates an extension of the hotel’s experience, which is a convenient location with true ocean and mountain views from modern and clean guestrooms.
The desktop 360° experience also offers advanced options from booking a reservation to simply clicking on “hot spots” to view video that lets the user envision the hotel as a wedding destination, or read historical background about the hotel’s original namesake, Prince Kuhio. The unique mobile app allows viewers to enjoy the experience in full immersive virtual reality. By using their smartphones with common headsets like Google Cardboard or Daydream, viewers can look around and feel like they’re really there.
“We are thrilled to use virtual reality to showcase what really sets us apart – our beautiful ocean and mountain views in a tranquil and convenient location on Kuhio Avenue,” says Sandy Narvaez, director of sales and marketing of Hilton Waikiki Beach. “Truly, aside from being here physically, virtual reality is the next best thing to enable our clients and guest to experience our hotel before they arrive.”
The tours are currently available in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. To view the VR, guests may visit the hotel’s website or Android phone users can search ‘Hilton Waikiki Beach’ in the Google Play store to download the mobile app. The iTunes app will be available soon.