Homewood Suites by Hilton® Introduces National Art Initiative
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Homewood Suites by Hilton® Introduces National Art Initiative
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Category: Worldwide - Industry economy
- Trends / Expert's advice
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2009-02-11
“Homewood Is Where the Art Is” Program Connects Local Artists with Extended-Stay Guests
Homewood Suites by Hilton®, the international brand of all-suite, residential-style hotels, today announced the national roll-out of its local artwork initiative, Homewood Is Where the Art Is. Each of the brand’s more than 260 hotels will soon display original pieces of art created by a local and/or regional artist. The program was developed as a way for Homewood Suites extended-stay travelers to better connect with the communities in which they are staying, whether for a few nights, weeks or months. “We began planning this program nearly a year ago after we started receiving amazing feedback from Homewood guests at a few of our properties that had local art installations,” said Dawn Koenig, Vice President, Hotel Performance Support for Homewood Suites. “After additional research, we found that the majority of our guests support the arts and purposely seek out and purchase local artwork for their own homes. We saw this as a great opportunity to engage with our guests, support local artists, and become more involved in the communities where we do business.”
Hotels were required to identify a local or regional artist whose work reflected one of four themes: home, travel, family, or local essence. Once identified, the hotel submitted images of the work, artist bio, and recommended display area to Homewood Suites for brand review. Upon artwork approval, the property received reimbursement from the brand (up to $1,200) and could purchase and display their original pieces.
The majority of hotels have already purchased and displayed their pieces, with many properties choosing art such as oil and watercolor paintings, photography, mixed media, glass work, and sculpture. Local artists will be recognized with an engraved plaque mounted next to the artwork which will display the name of the piece, the finished size, and the artist’s name. Hotel front desk employees will have a single-page bio with contact information for the local artist so that guests or visitors can learn more about the artists’ work or to purchase their own pieces.
The guest research Koenig references was conducted in the second quarter of 2008 via email with guests who had stayed at a Homewood Suites property in the previous year. Of 1,000 responses, 40% had purchased original art for their homes in the previous five years. Of these guests, 53% bought a local artist’s work and 37% were intentionally looking for work from a local artist. Additional findings indicated that 31% felt art was important to the overall feel of the hotels where they stay, 34% like the hotels they stay in to reflect the local culture through art, and 37% agreed that displaying local artwork would make a positive impression on them.
Launched in 1989, the Homewood Suites by Hilton brand today has more than 260 hotels open with approximately 130 in the development pipeline. Beyond its spacious suites and home-like amenities, additional guest features include an on-site Suite Shop® convenience store, complimentary grocery shopping services*, a complete business center, and laundry services at most locations.
The innovative brand is a guest favorite among both business and leisure travelers, consistently taking the top spot on key satisfaction studies. Homewood Suites by Hilton has been named “Best Value Hotel Chain” by Zagat Survey for three consecutive years (2007-2009); was awarded Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Extended-Stay Hotel Chains in J.D. Power & Associates 2008 North American Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM**; and placed number one in the Upscale Extended Stay Hotel category in Business Travel News 2008 hotels rankings by corporate travel buyers.
To make reservations at a Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel, travelers can visit the Homewood Suites Web site at homewoodsuites.com or call 1-800-CALL-HOME®. For more information on consumer programs, visit the brand’s guest portal at SuiteLiving.com. Homewood Suites by Hilton participates in Hilton HHonors®, the only hotel rewards program that offers Points & Miles® and No Blackout Dates.
Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,200 hotels and 545,000 rooms in 77 countries, with more than 135,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises some of the best known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton®, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, Home2 Suites by Hilton™ and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™.
The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.
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