NCR Unveils Next-Generation Self-Service Kiosk for Hotels

Sleek, modular NCR XpressPort designed for high-touch environment

AUSTIN, Texas – NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) today unveiled its newly designed NCR XpressPort, a sophisticated and modular hotel check-in kiosk designed to meet consumer demand for self-service convenience in a high-touch environment.

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts is among the first premier hotel chains to deploy the new NCR XpressPort kiosks as part of its overall lobby redesign moving forward. Integrated into the registration counter, the kiosks have made an immediate impact on customer satisfaction.

“Hyatt guest usage grew to 30 percent within the first two weeks of implementing NCR self-service kiosks,” said Lance Marrin, Corporate Director of Rooms for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “Since then we’ve seen a direct correlation between our properties with multiple kiosks and guest service scores. Clearly the growing consumer expectation for self-service options, combined with the integrated design, has proved to be a winning combination for Hyatt.”

On display this week at the 2008 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) in Austin, Texas, the NCR XpressPort kiosk is part of NCR Xpress Hotel, a self-service solution that allows guests to perform a number of tasks, such as check in and out, print room keys, locate and modify reservations, and view and print messages. To make it easier for guests to locate amenities around a hotel property, such as identifying the best route to a guest room, pool, hotel restaurant or other services, NCR Xpress Hotel also features optional interactive wayfinding functionality.

The sleek and flexible NCR XpressPort features a 17-inch touchscreen interface as well as a signature capture module to facilitate transactions during a guest’s stay. Its simple-to-use, modular design can be either freestanding or configured to complement any hotel lobby layout.

“For many travelers, the best service is self-service,” said Tania Ladic, NCR vice president of Travel Industry Marketing. “Studies show that increasingly, consumers are expecting the convenience of self-service as part of their travel experience. Hotels and resorts that incorporate self-service options as part of their high-touch strategy will be best prepared to satisfy their guests.”

A recent study conducted for NCR by Buzzback Market Research revealed that 86 percent of U.S. and Canadian consumers are more likely to do business with a company that offers the flexibility to interact using self-service. Moreover, 66 percent of survey respondents said the availability of self-service technologies creates a more positive perception of the deployer’s brand.