Case Study: Localization
Case Study: Localization
Hilton | Hospitality and Travel
The challenge
Arabic content across Hilton’s digital platforms had largely relied on machine translation, resulting in content that lacked cultural relevance, nuance, and alignment with regional travel intent. This created a disconnect with Arabic-speaking audiences and limited the effectiveness of localized experiences.
The approach
I led the localization strategy for Arabic content across Hilton’s platforms, shifting from machine-led translation to a human-centered localization model. This involved defining clear linguistic and cultural guidelines, establishing tone and terminology standards, and determining when neutral Modern Standard Arabic was most appropriate.
Content was restructured and rewritten to reflect culturally relevant travel contexts, including religious and regional travel needs such as Umrah and Hajj, while maintaining Hilton’s global brand voice.
The impact
The fully localized Arabic homepage and destination content delivered a more natural and culturally resonant experience for users across the region. This contributed to improved engagement and conversion rates, particularly across high-intent travel content, while strengthening user trust and relevance.
The work also established a scalable localization framework that balances human judgment with operational efficiency.
