There was an interesting story in the New York Times last week titled “Speedy Check-In Lets Hotel Guests Bypass Front Desk.” As evident from the descriptive title, the story was about hotel check-in trends.

Julie Weed reports that more and more hotels are installing kiosks to simplify the lobby experience. And since the population is used to checking in at the airport via kiosks or checking out their own groceries, using an automated hotel check-in is no big deal. In fact, it may be expected. 

“High-end hotels are also using new technologies to eliminate the front desk check-in line — with personal greeters who shepherd guests through the check-in process in a more comfortable setting, using an iPad or laptop,” Weed reported.

Individual travelers may enjoy kiosks and personal greeters; however, group check-ins may pose challenges. I contacted two of the people from the article to get their thoughts on group check-ins and how their properties handle them.

“In terms of groups, we are not a convention hotel, so most of our groups are smaller room blocks as we only have 239 guest rooms,” said Jordan Kaye, marketing and communications manager for Andaz West Hollywood hotel in California. “The largest group we have checked in would be between 40 to 50 guests at one time. We do have many groups in the 100-plus range, and most of the time groups are scattered arrivals throughout the day or over a specific time period. In order to accommodate a group that checks in at the same time, or even scattered, we will set up billing with the client and pre-key all the rooms so that when they arrive we can hand out the guests’ room keys and escort them to their room. It greatly speeds up a seamless check-in process.”

For the Montage Deer Valley hotel in Park City, Utah, a streamlined check-in was crucial to starting a meeting on a positive note and setting the right tone, says Dan Howard, the hotel’s director of public relations. 

“We are a 220-room property, and the largest group check-in we have hosted was for an international energy conference with 250 attendees,” he said. 

He says that two adjustments were made for that group (and for all large groups). 

“First, we were aware of the transportation times of the group arrivals, since the vast majority arrived via pre-scheduled, 40-person motor coach (which enabled us to check the group in 40 at a time) – but the front desk was never used, and each individual was still provided their own guest relations representative who walked them to their rooms to perform the check in,” he said. “Second, the meeting organizer wanted to provide attendees with materials upon arrival at the resort, so all attendees were directed to the VISTA LOUNGE, where they received materials and signed up for extracurricular activities before meeting their Montage guest relations associate who then provided their in-room check-in and resort orientation.”

What are you thoughts or experiences with streamlined check-ins for groups? Please let us know in the comments. 

There’s something arrrfully shady happening on the hotel high seas. If no one is stationed in the crow’s nest, you might not see them coming. By then it will be too late. Overnight, your ship’s wheel will be taken over, and the next thing you know, you’re sailing toward the Attrition Strait.

I’m talking about pirates. Specifically room block pirates.

Vanessa LaClair, CMP, wrote a great blog entry titled “Case of the Room Block Pirates” for the Social Tables Blog, in which she offers a personal story of encountering pirates and how to fend them off with ease.

“Last week I was checking out the room block details for an event I plan to attend in July, when my phone rings,” wrote LaClair, immediate past president of the MPI Northeastern New York Chapter. “A representative (who I didn’t know) from a company (I didn’t recognize) was calling to tell me that the room block rate had been lowered and that they could get me all signed up—if I would just complete the form they planned to send me via email.”

LaClair says she provided her email address so that she could check out who was calling her.

“Once I received the info, I passed along this story and the form to the people directly involved with planning the event,” she wrote. “Come to find out, this so-called housing company that called me was actually a Room Block Pirate! Have you heard of this? I had seen stories floating around on Facebook recently, but this was the first I had ever been contacted by said Pirate.”

Check out her blog entry for the full story, along with her thoughts on what to consider when booking room blocks. And please let us know in the comments if you’ve ever encountered room block pirates.

And while we’re on the subject of “real” room blocks, be sure to check out the registration page

for the World Education Congress in Las Vegas. The rates at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Main Tower and THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay are now US$150 and $190, respectively.

Moscow hotels are the most expensive in the world for business travelers, according to the latest annual hotel survey from Hogg Robinson Group (HRG). This makes a nine-year streak for them, with hotel rates increasing 4 percent in 2012.  

Around the world, overall rates increased by 1.4 percent, compared to 1 percent the previous year. Thirty-two of 55 cities with top hotel rates showed a year-on-year increase in local currency rate in 2012, compared with just 23 of 55 cities in 2011.

Brazil’s major metropolitan cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, showed the highest room rate increases, at 19 percent and 15 percent respectively in local currency. Latin America is showing strong growth in business travel, and of the top five cities with the highest rate increases, three were from the region. 

The U.S. as a whole recorded increased room rates as key cities such as San Francisco and Atlanta hosted strong convention business. The one exception was Washington, D.C., where rates dropped by 14 percent as corporate demand softened.

Hotel rates grew significantly in several cities across the U.K., including in Belfast where average room rates grew 8 percent, and in London, Aberdeen and Liverpool, where average room rates grew by 5 percent. The London hotel market demonstrated resilience in the face of global economic turmoil, aided by the 2012 Olympic Games and Jubilee demand. 

Here are the top 10 cities for most expensive hotels for business travelers:  

1. Moscow
2. Lagos
3. New York City
4. Hong Kong
5. Zurich
6. Geneva
7. Rio de Janeiro
8. Paris
9. Sydney
10. Stockholm

Digital innovation think tank L2 released its third-annual "Digital IQ Index: Hotels" study, which shows that Starwood is the most digitally knowledgeable of all hotel brands, landing five of the top 10 hotels in the index. 

"This year’s report benchmarks the digital competence of 57 hotel brands according to 675 data points across four digital dimensions: site, digital marketing, social media, and mobile," L2 reported. "Through our research, we explain the past and current digital landscape of the hotel industry, offer insight on industry trends, and highlight brand case study success stories, or ‘Flashes of Genius,’ from the past year. As always, we also provide a comprehensive ranking of all the brands included in our research, assigning each a Digital IQ of Genius, Gifted, Average, Challenged, or Feeble.

"This year, there was just one Genius: W Hotels," L2 continued. "The Starwood property moved up an impressive eight spots from last year to dethrone Four Seasons in 2013. W earned the top title by performing well in a variety of categories, including emerging social media (their partnership with Instagram, just one example), and creating engaging, original content that connects its various properties to the latest music, fashion, and design news. A strong site rounded out W’s digital profile." 

Imagine painting a picture while you sleep. No, this isn't a dream. It's a reality. 

European hotel chain Ibis has a robot that creates a work of art based on your sleep patterns. Sensors in the bed measure pressure, heat and sound. The data is sent wireless to the robot, which then paints the picture in another room away from the person sleeping. The paintings, though, look more Pollock than Picasso in the end. 

Check out the video below for more on this story.

Hongkong and Shanghai  Hotels will stop serving shark fin at all its group operations effective Jan. 1, in recognition of the threat facing the global shark population and in line with its sustainability vision. However, the company will honour banquet bookings involving shark fin soup made prior to Nov. 21, but taking place after the new year. 

HSH CEO Clement K.M. Kwok said: “By removing shark fin from our menus, we hope that our decision can contribute to preserving the marine ecosystem for the world’s future generations. As Asia’s oldest hotel company, we also hope that our decision will inspire other hospitality companies to do the same and that our industry will play a role in helping to preserve the bio-diversity of our oceans.” 

More than 750 Fairmont staffers accompanied by friends, family and recruits scoured inland waterways and beaches for litter on Sept. 17 as part of the 27th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Working with the California Coastal Commission, Fairmont led five drop-in cleanup sites (Newport Beach, Santa Monica, San Jose, San Francisco and Sonoma) where volunteers hauled off everything from baseballs to shopping carts. Other odd finds included a rubber chicken, a 1980s shoulder pad and an animal spine.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts recently announced that it has cut its CO2 output by 8.4 percent. As a member of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Climate Savers program, Fairmont has pledged to reduce its operational CO2 emissions by 20 percent below 2006 levels by 2013, and was the world’s first luxury hotel group to commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The more than 8 percent decline, based on 2010 year-end data, means the hotel company is almost halfway to its ambitious reduction target.

“Everyone can agree that the debate on climate change has shifted from it’s here and real, to how can we all contribute to a low carbon future,” said Fairmont’s president Chris Cahill. “The business community needs to step up and take a leadership position if we're going to affect any real, transformative change, and I’m very pleased that Fairmont has been able to take some positive steps in curbing its energy usage and lowering GHG emissions around the globe. From the daily efforts of our engineers to the determined conservation practices of our hotel-level green teams, we remain committed to persevering and protecting the destinations we call home.”

Fairmont implemented several key initiatives to help reduce its carbon footprint. These have included the creation of an internal framework to track, monitor and report on key energy and carbon data, appointing regional champions to oversee audit and data controls and the introduction of a new Engineer of the Year award to recognize and reward outstanding environmental performance. Additionally, the brand adopted a formalized sustainable design and construction policy and relocated its corporate offices to a LEED NC Gold-certified building.

“Looking ahead, we’re confident that we can reach our 20 percent reduction target in 2013 by continuing to focus our efforts on improved energy efficiency, increased conversion to low carbon technologies and solutions, and by promoting conservation practices among our 30,000 colleagues worldwide,” said Sarah Dayboll, Fairmont’s director of environmental affairs.

The Fairmont Pittsburgh has appointed Edie, a white Boxer/Labrador Retriever mix, as the hotel’s official Canine Ambassador. Edie – whose name is inspired by Andy Warhol and his “superstar” Edie Sedgwick – provides guests with a warm welcome in the lobby and is readily available to accompany them on walks around the hotel.

Edie was born in March 2010, the same month that Fairmont Pittsburgh opened its doors. She began training in the assistant dog program at Circle Tail Inc. in Pleasant Plain, Ohio, as a puppy. After completing over a year of training, Edie’s friendly and outgoing personality proved to be better suited to the hospitality industry, where she gets to meet new people every day.

At work five days a week, Edie is stationed in the lobby where she relaxes on her cozy bed near the concierge desk. She wears a nametag, keeps an appointment book and even has her own email address so that guests can keep in touch. Edie is looking forward to hosting her own events at the hotel with other canine companions and getting involved in the community at schools, nursing homes and local events. At the end of the day, Edie heads home with Julie Abramovic, public relations manager, where she spends her free time going for even more walks, playing at the local dog park and chewing on her favorite toys.

Fairmont Pittsburgh is a pet-friendly hotel and encourages travelers to bring their own furry friends when they visit. Dogs arriving at the hotel are offered healthy treats made by Executive Pastry Chef Naomi Gallego, along with walking maps and complimentary pet beds and dishes.

Guests are also encouraged to visit other canine ambassadors at Fairmont properties throughout North America.

(Photo credit: Kaitlin Bledsoe Photography)