Fussy travelers might want to give Hilton Hotelsí Homewood Suites another look beginning in 2007 because the chain has announced that it will begin allowing guests to not only book rooms online, but also to choose the room they want prior to check-in. Homewood Suites by Hilton, the international brand of upscale, all-suite, residential-style hotels, announced plans to launch Suite Selection, the hotel industry's first interactive room selection tool designed to give guests full control when checking in online. Available first quarter 2007 on www.homewoodsuites.com, Suite Selection allows Hilton HHonors guests to view a floor plan and select a suite based on their personal preferences - whether they prefer to stay on a high floor, by an exit, away from the elevator, by the lobby and much more.
With the launch of the Suite Selection program, Homewood Suites by Hilton will be the first hotel brand in the industry to offer guests the ability to view a hotel floor plan and select a room preference in advance of arrival. Suite Selection features floor plans, photographs and descriptions of every room type in the nearly 200 hotels throughout the U.S., as well as hotels in Canada, and Mexico.
Initially, the new functionality will only be available to Hilton HHonors(R) Gold and Diamond members but soon after the first quarter of ë07, Silver-level members will also be able to benefit from the convenience of Suite Selection. By end of 2007, the extended stay brand anticipates making this tool available to anyone with an HHonors profile.
Rebecca Wyatt, Homewood Suites senior vice president of brand management, said, 'Homewood Suites is a leader in the innovation and evolution of the extended stay industry. We constantly and consistently strive to create new methods, programs and tools that ultimately provide our guests with the most enjoyable experience possible, even before they actually arrive at the hotel.'
'Given the majority of our guests stay an average of 14 nights and have very different needs than most travelers, Suite Selection will prove to be a very beneficial tool that will allow our guests to take more ownership of their travel decisions.'
Highlights of the Homewood Suites new interactive tool include:
ï Available first quarter 2007 via e-check-in on www.homewoodsuites.com
ï Hilton HHonors(R) Gold and Diamond members first, then Silver and finally available to anyone with an HHonors profile by year's end
ï Photos of each guest suite and floor plan layouts in nearly 50% of Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels by first quarter with all hotels loaded in the system by fall 2007.
For more information on the new Homewood Suites by Hilton Suite Selection program, visit www.homewoodsuites.com.
