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These guests at the Roger Smith Hotel could get a free side of bacon if they check-in on Foursquare. But they have to mean it.

Over at the Roger Smith Hotel, an independent property in New York, there aren't going to be any freebies handed out to Foursquare mayors or frequent check-ins without a more personal interaction to go along with it.

Brian Simpson, the hotel's director of Social Hospitality, says the hotel hasn't done anything official with Foursquare beyond using it as a filter to the hotel's popular Twitter steam (@RSHotel).

Yet Simpson sees Foursquare and Twitter as more trustworthy than other review sites like Yelp!, saying Fourquare tips and Tweets are "real honest opinions." Thus continuing the conversation about the hotel is important--whether it's happening on the internet or at the hotel bar.

"Foursquare's a new way to find our friends and to stay in touch with them. Most hotels don't put enough stake in their local guests but the more we get involved and see them checking into Foursquare, the more we're getting involved with what they do."

That's not to say that the Roger Smith Hotel won't reward folks who check into the hotel on Foursquare. It's just that they would rather do these incentives around an event that's happening at the hotel. For instance, if there's a cocktail hour, a seminar, or even a bartender's birthday, Simpson says the hotel would invite Foursquare users to check-in then. And being there, they could get a free drink or a free appetizer.

For a hotel that is incredibly active on Facebook, Twitter and now Foursquare, we wondered if their social media behavior was eclipsing the primary function of the hotel--to serve guests spending the night? Simpson says social media just exploits what the hotel is about anyways, which is all about the people. He says part of his job is enabling guests to tell their stories--whether it be about a banquet held at the hotel or just a simple overnight stay.

"Everything is about the people here. That's what we do. And if it means using social media, then that gives the hotel more ways to tell these stories."

Simpson even tells his own stories about the hotel, having recently Tumblred a video of himself and his coworkers pressing hotel sheets when a snowstorm forced the housekeeping team to stay at home.

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[Photo: Roger Smith Hotel]