BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — In an effort to triple the number of ways guests can check in, Hilton Hotels will add an additional 45 kiosks that allow guests to get a room key without a visit to the front desk. They also will add a Web site feature that lets guests check-in online up to 36 hours before arrival, according to a story in Information Week.
Hilton has been testing the check-in kiosks at its marquee hotels in New York and Chicago since December and the results were better than expected.
It was expected that 5 percent of guests arriving at the New York and Chicago properties would utilize the kiosks. But during the six month trial more than 15 percent of guests used them.
Building on the initial trail success, Hilton will introduce two additional kiosk capabilities in the near future -VIP guests will have the ability to upgrade their room types by year's end; and sometime in 2005, the kiosks will be able to print airline boarding passes for guests who offer their frequent flier account information.
The 45 hotels will get an average of three kiosks, and a full-time attendant will be assigned to provide any assistance guests may need.
