Hampton Showcases Local Flavor of Its Hotels

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. January 20, 2009

JANUARY 20, 2009 - Hampton Hotels(R), a leader in the hospitality industry, today announced the launch of Hampton Focus, an online initiative that infuses Hampton's presence on the web with friendly upbeat content and beautiful photography produced by Hampton team members and featuring team members to connect guests with the brand's local personality.

Part of Hampton's larger Local Flavor program, Hampton Focus was designed as a result of a study that Hampton undertook which reinforced that online consumers are more likely to choose hotels featuring photography and copy content that captures the "local flavor" of the surrounding community.

"A vast majority of Hampton bookings are made on Hampton.com and this effort will make our properties even more attractive to online consumers," said Judy Christa-Cathey, vice-president, Hampton brand marketing. "Our confidence in our hotels' ability to showcase their facilities' strengths is central to this effort's success. Hampton Focus not only reassures developers of Hampton's commitment to quality properties, but also strengthens the brand's presence in the marketplace and in the hearts of our guests and developers."

The Hampton initiative involves equipping all hotels across the Hampton network with a property photography guide, as well as professional-grade photography equipment. The guide instructs Hampton team members on photo composition, location staging and strategies for capturing a property's "local flavor." The equipment will be distributed to all Hampton properties (in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Ecuador), and will include a high quality digital camera with a lens, photography software and a tripod. All photography will be uploaded to Hampton.com.

In just 24 years, Hampton has built more than 1,600 hotels in five countries; nearly 75 percent of these newly built hotels come from existing owners, reinforcing Hampton's loyal following, strong culture and adaptability for today's travelers. Since January 2004, Hampton Hotels has debuted new products and services ranging from complimentary On the House(R) hot breakfast and On the Run breakfast bags, the Cloud Nine- The Hampton Bed Experience, Purity Basics(R) bath products and a curved shower rod, complimentary high-speed internet access and the industry's easiest-to-set alarm clock/radio as part of the brand's continuing transformation to meet guest's needs.

"Hampton provides developers with a framework for building and operating a Hampton property that is consistent with the brand experience travelers expect," continued Cathey. "Local Flavor and Hampton Focus represent the tools Hampton develops to ensure consistent branding."

Hampton's friend-in-town positioning is reinforced not only by the purposeful amenities that Hampton provides each of its 38 million friends each year, but more importantly, its unique and friendly service. Since the brand's launch of its 100% Satisfaction Guarantee in 1989, it has been the friendly service -- the promise behind the Guarantee -- that has set the brand apart in its category and earned Hampton Hotels numerous industry awards and accolades.