Hilton Hotels Corp. yesterday announced it had begun beta-testing lobby checkin kiosks at its Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton properties. Hilton in 2004 began installing the machines in its full-service hotels. The only other midprice brand to announce a kiosk test is Holiday Inn, which is part of InterContinental Hotels Group
(BTNonline, Mar. 24). None of IHG's full-service brands, which include InterContinental Hotels and Crowne Plaza, have tested the technology.
"Following the success of the full-service rollout, we thought business travelers in particular would appreciate having another checkin and checkout option at our Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton," said Mark Nogal, Hilton Garden Inn vice president of marketing. "In terms of distribution, we are Hilton's largest brands, so travelers can expect to begin to find kiosks in most of the key destinations their business travel takes them." There presently are 1,300 Hamptons and over 240 Hilton Garden Inns.
"As with our full-service implementation, the machines, which essentially are the same Hilton-wide, allow travelers an extra degree of convenience," Nogal said. "Should they wish to interact with a front desk agent, they're certainly welcome to do that, but like many frequent travelers who return to the same hotel on a regular basis, if they want only to deal with the kiosk, they now will have that option."
Nogal said Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton chose a mix of downtown, airport and suburban properties to test the technology.