CHICAGO, IL– Oct. 15, 2007– Hyatt Place today announced the hotel industry’s first customized webpage populated with location-specific content using iGoogle*. This marks the first time a hotel brand is providing guests with the ability to immediately view relevant, local online content to assist them during their stay.
All guests taking advantage Hyatt Place’s complimentary Wi-Fi will now access Google’s services and view location-specific content immediately once they log in, including:
Guests can also incorporate their own widgets, or mini web applications, onto their customized webpage, allowing them instant access to the content they find most helpful in their everyday life. For added convenience, the guest access webpage also includes a hotel television channel guide, instructions for printing documents or boarding passes on the hotel’s complimentary printer and a full menu of items available in the 24-hour Guest Kitchen.
“The hotel experience has evolved – it’s no longer enough to offer technology, it’s about knowing how guests use that technology to help them manage their lives,” said Alison Kal, vice president, marketing, Hyatt Corporation. “When we developed Hyatt Place, we realized reliable, complimentary access in all areas of every hotel was crucial but that’s only the first step. We wanted to ensure relevant information was immediately accessible so we integrated iGoogle – a product of one of the world’s leading technology firms – to provide guests with content they need while on the road.”
“Users want immediate, at-a-glance access to the information wherever they are – at home, at work, even when traveling,” said Dan Stickel, responsible for Google Partner Products. “With the customized iGoogle webpage, Hyatt Place guests can tap into the simplicity of Google search, while accessing the information they look for on a regular basis, like local weather, flight schedules, maps, calendars and Gmail, within seconds of logging on.”
The version of iGoogle available for syndication is also known as Google Apps Start Page technology.
Hyatt Place Background
Hyatt Place inspired by today’s 24/7 lifestyle and designed to complement Hyatt’s full-service brands with an atmosphere of casual hospitality. Attuned to the changing landscape of contemporary, multi-tasking business travelers, Hyatt Place allows guests to seamlessly merge personal and professional activities, offering a balanced mix of comfortable and functional amenities.
Travelers are raving about Hyatt Place hotels already open in and around Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, Cincinnati, San Antonio, Nashville, Washington, DC and Louisville. There will be 120 Hyatt Place hotels open by March 2008, including locations in Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Orlando and Detroit, in addition to other key business and leisure markets throughout the country.
About Hyatt Place
Hyatt Place, a new kind of Hyatt for today’s relaxed lifestyle, combines The Hyatt Touch® with stylish design, purposeful amenities and forward-thinking technology. Catering to today’s discerning travelers, 120 Hyatt Place hotels are to open across the U.S. by December 2008. Hyatt Place is a newly developed brand of Global Hyatt Corporation. For Hyatt Place information or to make a reservation, call 1-888-HYATT-HP (888-492-8847) or visit www.HyattPlace.com. From the U.S. and Canada, reservations for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts worldwide may be obtained by calling 1-800-233-1234 or logging onto www.hyatt.com.
About Global Hyatt Corporation
Google, iGoogle, Google Maps and Gmail are trademarks of Google Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
*A screenshot of the iGoogle landing page can be found on the following page and at the Hyatt Press Center at www.Hyatt.com. If you would like to review a live link, please contact Amy Patti at (312) 780-5620 or amy.patti@corphq.hyatt.com.
Amy Patti
Hyatt Corporation
(312) 780-5620
amy.patti@hyatt.com