How To Use And Install SPG For Google Glass App

App number 49 approved by Google in the Glassware directory is SPG app for Glass owned by Starwood Hotel. The app is live so if you want to, you can go ahead and install it. This app is special because it brings some new “first” things in Google Glass’s characteristics. This application is the first that provides exclusive hotel information and offers hotel search, and secondly it’s the first app developed by an international hospitality brand. By adding this type of software to the Glassware directory, Google has just made a huge step in the device’s future, as probably more brands will now come up with branded applications. So, let’s see how it works; below you can find an easy guide on how to install and use it.

How to use SPG for Glass

1. How To Install It

First of all, you will have to create an SPG account (the company’s loyalty program). If you already have one, go in the Glassware directory and activate the app. After all the obligatory permissions are cleared, you will have to connect the app to the SP account we were telling you about.

Theoretically you don’t need the SPG account for the installation process, but practically we couldn’t use the search until we connected with it, so it will probably go faster if you have one.

As soon as the app installation process is completed, you will have a new option in the voice command menu, which is Find Place; but so you know, if you also have the Foursquare app open, they will respond to the same command.

Now open the app, you will have four ways to find a hotel: By Hotel name, By Destination, Near Me and By Airport Code. However, probably because not every detail has been well sat yet, voice recognition can sometimes have difficulties in correctly perceiving the letter S, F C and T. Because of that, we had some trouble in using the Airport Code search option.

Every hotel found will be displayed on it’s own card. SPG for Glass has in its database all the hotels from all the brands owned by Starwood Company, meaning around 1,100 properties.

2. How To Choose A Hotel

So, choose a hotel card that has been found near you; further, you can select to see some photos of the location, make a reservation – by phone or email – and even get directions.

Even though the photo cards look like links to more information, they won’t lead anywhere actually; they’re just photos.
A setback is that you can’t book a hotel room from the app; you either have to call or allow the app to send a link by email that will direct you to the booking section on the Starwood website.

3. SPG Account Information

After 45 minutes, the SPG Account was displayed on Glass’s Timeline and was offering three sections: Read More- where you can find basic account information, Refresh Data and Pin – which stand for exactly these two operations. SPG for Glass will also provide users with notifications concerning future stays.

Starways says that the app is still in a beta phase, and that they still have a few things to workout for the next version. Personally, we’d like the booking to be made through the app, the information cards to actually provide more information and the voice recognition issues to be fixed.

Besides those modifications or adjustments, we believe that this app is very important for the device’s development and that will trigger more brands to create customized Glass apps.