Hyatt, Embassy Suites Go Self-Serve

Hyatt Hotels and Embassy Suites have made major self-service check-in/out deployments. Hyatt is pairing with NCR Corporation (ncr.com) to add check-in/out kiosks in more than 100 Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt hotel lobbies in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

"Customers expect quick, easy check-in and checkout processes," stresses Gary Dollens, vice president of product and design for Hyatt. "Investment in technology such as the kiosks gives Hyatt guests the unique opportunity to control their entire arrival and departure experiences."

Hyatt will roll out the kiosks to its properties this year, making it the first hotel company to offer kiosk service across North America and the Caribbean. Hyatt's kiosks are tied into the company's reservation system. With the swipe of a credit card, guests can check-in and out, receive their room key, enter a frequent stay number and request an upgrade or room change. Kiosk check-out gives guests the ability to pay, print out a complete receipt, and receive a folio of their stay.

Embassy Suites Hotels, also capitalizing on the trend, plans to install self-service EmbassyDirect Registration Kiosks at all of its properties. The automated technology will appear in 75 percent of hotels by year-end 2005, and in 100 percent of hotels by June 30, 2006. IBM (ibm.com) is providing Embassy with kiosk hardware, an operating platform, systems management tools and project management support.