HCN Navigator

INTRO

Hotel Communications Network (HCN) is updating the in-room hotel experience with its interactive tablet. Imagine combining all the essential room devices: phone, TV remote, clock/radio, and smart room controls into a single interface then adding a suite of powerful features. That’s the HCN Navigator.

As a design strategist and consultant, I’ve worked closely with HCN to refine and enhance both the service design and UI/UX, ensuring an slick experience for guests and hoteliers alike.

ROLE

Mobile UI/UX

Product Strategy

Prototyping & Demos

Strategic Communication

A.I. Prototyping

See project

Client/Context

Hotel Communications Network

Year

2021-2025

30%

Increase in hotel revenue

(+$10 per room/month)

5%

labor cost reduction

(per room)

85%

use the HCN tablet

(vs. <15% for QR/mobile apps)

Transforming the guest experience

It started with a prototype

When I began working with HCN in 2021, they had an ambitious vision, one that would leapfrog existing solutions utilizing AI, personalization, innovative controls and rich integrations to redefine the hotel guest experience for major chains like Hilton and Hyatt.

This 2.0 as it was called, started with a prototype—one of the most advanced I’ve ever built—powered by FramerJS, 13 CoffeeScript modules, and Google Cloud’s Speech-to-Text API.

Iteration In Action

The magic of real user testing

Fast forward over four years from that first prototype, and HCN is now a leader in hotel in-room tablets, with integrations across many major hotel properties.

This success didn’t happen by chance. We followed an adapted version of Google Design Sprints, rigorously testing and refining nearly every feature via advanced prototypes given to focus groups, hoteliers, and real hotel guests. After hundreds of iterations, the product has improved session time, conversion rates and revenue while continuing to impress hotels.

Half the Battle

Platform UX is as important as the consumer UX

A great user experience is only as good as the data that feeds it.

HCN tackles this challenge with a knowledgeable support team that helps streamline setup and automation. But, we knew it had to be simple and quick for hotels to use while also integrating with the APIs and software hoteliers already rely on.

Here, you can see a glimpse of one of the many user-tested admin interfaces designed (also for tablets) to make managing HCN Navigator tablets as effortless for hotel staff as they are for guests.

An Ambitious Future

To AI, mobile and beyond…

Many of the cutting-edge features I’ve helped develop with HCN remain confidential, but some have already been demoed and announced. These include seamless planning and bookings that transition from the in-room tablet to the guest’s smartphone, as well as the recently unveiled AI Concierge—where I played a key role in the service design and integration.

Throughout my time with HCN, we’ve leveraged advanced prototyping and continuous iteration—not just to enhance the guest experience, but to help HCN secure additional funding, onboard new hotels, unlock new revenue streams, and improve ROI for hoteliers. A true win-win-win.

Keep an eye out for an HCN Navigator dock on your next hotel stay!