http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-14T17:22:30Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Check-In%20Kiosks http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/6/17/141027/016 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/check_inkiosks.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><i>The kiosks at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/14/102311/616/hotels/Finally_A_Successful_Check_In_Kiosk_Attempt">Hyatt Regency Denver</a> do work!</i><p>Brad Pitt in Ocean's Twelve has a line that goes something like "I want a hotel to run like a hotel should." This may sound like something Yoggi Berra would mutter, causing a few heads to be scratched in the process, but it's a simple summation of all the stuff people want in their experience. <p>We feel the same way about the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Check-In%20Kiosks"><b>check-in kiosks</b></a> we've encountered in the past. We've written about some positive experiences, but other experiences made us understand the "dust collector" nicknames they acquired. It seemed to us like the idea was ahead of the technology to make it actually useful and convenient.<p> <p>Checking in DanielR 2008-06-18T12:38:05-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/15/131214/607 <![CDATA[<p><p><embed src="http://services.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1321361467" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=1506007036&playerId=1321361467&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://services.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="399" height="338" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed> <p><p>This is room 1134 inside the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Hyatt+Regency+Denver+At+Colorado+Convention+Center/ian/236043"><b>Hyatt Regency Denver</b></a> where we spent some time this past weekend. As we told you yesterday, we had a successful check-in attempt with the self-service kiosks in the lobby and that probably set the tone for the rest of our stay. <p>Actually, maybe the feel-good tone started way before that when we actually booked the hotel room. We did it through <a href="http://www.priceline.com">Priceline</a>, our first time booking through that site. And our bid of <b>$75</b> was accepted right away.<p>Regular room rates at the hotel, which are higher during the week when conventions are in full force across the street, are about juliana 2008-04-15T14:20:06-05:00 39.743592 -104.99373 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/14/102311/616 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/check_inkiosks.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>Hotel check-in kiosks have never quite taken off the way that airport check-in kiosks have. Indeed, the hotel's versions of easy check-in have been labeled <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2005/5/31/17383/9138/hotels/The_Return_of_the_quot_Dust_Collectors_quot_">"dust collectors"</a> in the past and we've read a ton of reports that these things just <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/1/7/162418/3804/hotels/Geek_Can_t_Get_Hotel_Check_In_Kiosk_to_Work_At_CES">don't work</a>.<p>Well, maybe that is about to change.<p>We checked into the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Hyatt+Regency+Denver+At+Colorado+Convention+Center/ian/236043"><b>Hyatt Regency Denver</b></a> (aka the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/3/19/154715/726/hotels/Express_Check_Out_Hyatt_Regency_Denver_is_The_Ultimate_Hotel_for_Democrats">headquarters hotel</a> for the DNC this summer) over the weekend and upon walking into the lobby, a greeter immediately ushered us over to the machines (pictured above). Before we could protest, the greeter urged us to give the kiosk a try.<p>It was incredibly easy. We simply swiped the credit card that we used to book the room juliana 2008-04-14T10:36:17-05:00 39.743592 -104.99373 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/1/7/162418/3804 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/sahara_logo.png" class="imgborder">This morning we gave you our <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/1/7/12534/30465/hotels/The_Geek_s_Hotel_Guide_to_CES_in_Las_Vegas">Geek's Hotel Guide to CES in Las Vegas</a> where we ran down the hotel tech scene for CES attendees. In it, we mentioned a Luddite Hotel, the Roman Tower of Caesars Palace, because it's high tech bathroom TVs are only considered high tech in the past. Like 1985. <p>Now we can add another geek faux pas. Harry McCracken (any relation to Phil?) of <a href="http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/006190.html">PC World</a> checked into the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Sahara+Las+Vegas+Hotel+And+Casino/ian/129410"><b>Sahara Hotel and Casino</b></a> for CES and took a gamble on the hotel's check-in kiosk.<blockquote><p>Whenever I see one, I try to use it--but I'm only able to leave with key in hand maybe 25 percent of the time. Otherwise, said juliana 2008-01-07T16:52:11-05:00 36.142235 -115.15649 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/8/22/15234/1770 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/check_kiosk.jpg"><p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/travel/20prachotel.html?ref=travel">The NY Times</a> reported that check-in kiosks still have some kinks to work out but that more and more hotels seem to be adopting the technology as a way to decrease check-in time. This seems to be a change from last year when they were still called <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2005/5/31/17383/9138">"Dust Collectors."</a><p> We decided to investigate what hotel guests have to say about these gadgets on <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?lc=en_US&amp;subAmit.y=0&amp;returnTo=__2F__ShowUserReviews__2D__g45963__2D__d619205__2D__r5628094__2D__Skylofts_at_MGM_Grand__2D__Las_Vegas_Nevada__2E__html&amp;geo=45963&amp;submit.x=0&amp;q=check-in+kiosk&amp;rcbtimeout=30000&amp;txid=183125&amp;ssrc=r-m10559.html">TripAdvisor</a>. One guest at the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g43323-d90383-r5609819-Hyatt_Regency_Minneapolis-Minneapolis_Minnesota-m10559.html">Hyatt Regency Minneapolis</a> said check-in time with the kiosk was less than 60 seconds.<p>The kiosk at the <a href="http://las-vegas-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d114898-r5521894-Stratosphere_Hotel_Casino_and_Tower-Las_Vegas_Nevada-m10559.html">Stratosphere</a> in Las Vegas saved some guests from the horribly long lines at the front desk but still couldn't make the rooms in the hotel any nicer.<p>At the <a juliana 2006-08-22T15:02:34-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/