Hilton Launches First Sleep-Tight Rooms(SM) Study

Hilton Launches First Sleep-Tight Rooms(SM) Study; Six-Month Trial Period to Determine Increased Sleepability Among Guests

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 29 / In what may be the most aggressive travel-related sleep experiment to date, Hilton Hotels Corporation, in cooperation with the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and an array of sleep- product manufacturers, today unveiled 25 Sleep-Tight Rooms(SM). The rooms are part of a nationwide program to determine how to increase sleepability among travelers.

"This is another first for Hilton," said Robert E. Dirks, senior vice president - marketing at Hilton. "Working with the NSF for the last two years, we researched the topic of sleep and its impact on travelers. The Sleep-Tight Rooms test launch is the culmination of our studies to provide travelers with the best night's sleep possible when on the road."

According to Dirks, as part of Hilton's effort to "create the ultimate hotel sleep environment," the company and the NSF contacted manufacturers that produce unique sleep-related products. The Sleep-Tight Rooms are equipped with such features as an environmental and white sound machine, in-room CD players and digital music systems, the latest in mattress products and even special light systems similar to those used by U.S. astronauts to realign their circadian rhythms.

"One of the goals of this study is to see how much better a traveler sleeps in a carefully crafted environment," said Tom Roth, Ph.D., health and scientific advisor at the NSF and one of the leading sleep experts involved in the Sleep-Tight Room project.

Currently, five Hilton hotels are participating in the project, each offering five Sleep-Tight Rooms: The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Chicago O'Hare Hilton; New York Hilton and Towers; Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach and The Capital Hilton in Washington, DC. The price of the Hilton Sleep-Tight Rooms will coincide with each hotel's standard room rate. Travelers interested in booking one of the new rooms can call 1-800-Hiltons.

"These hotels welcome business travelers from across the country and overseas," said Dirks. "It will be interesting to see what added sleepability the rooms provide for these long-distance travelers who often suffer from jet lag."

Recent NSF/Hilton sleep research also showed that stress plays a critical role in sleeplessness among travelers. In response to this, Hilton added a special phone service to help remedy one of the most common causes of stress.

"Many travelers get anxious about missing their wake-up call," said Dirks. "So, we established an optional 'dual wake-up call' system. After calling the guest at the desired wake-up time, we follow-up with another call 10 minutes later to ensure that he or she is awake."

Other services include the phone message center which holds calls to avoid disturbing guests trying to sleep, and modified refreshment centers supplied with cheeses and milk, as an option to the caffeinated products.

To determine the effectiveness of the Sleep-Tight Rooms, guests are encouraged to fill out an in-room questionnaire identifying what features helped them sleep. The list of possibilities include: ADD Products Synthetic Down Pillows, Aearo Company Ear Plugs, Apollo Systems Light Box, Austin House Sleep Masks, Bio-Brite SunRise Clock & Glow Lamp, Bose(R) Wave Radio(R), Bose(R) Acoustic Wave(R) Music System, DMX Music System, Rockland Industries, Inc. Roc-lon(R) TLC(TM) Drapes, Serta Pillow Top & Mattress, Sharper Image Corporation Harvest Moon(TM) Night Light and Heart & Sound Soother(TM) with Timer, Teledyne Water Pik The Original Shower Massage(R) Showerhead and classical Naxos Music CDs.

In 1994, Hilton Hotels, in cooperation with the National Sleep Foundation, established the "Sleep and The Traveler Program," a cooperative research effort dedicated to improving the quality of life for millions of people who suffer from travel-related and other sleep disorders. A brochure on common sleep problems and potential remedies is available by writing to "Sleep and The Traveler" c/o DCG, 7758 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046; faxing 213-845-0189; or emailing [email protected].

The NSF is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans who suffer from sleep disorders, and to prevent the catastrophic accidents that are related to poor or disordered sleep. In addition to supporting educational and research efforts, the NSF serves as a national referral service for the dissemination of public information.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as the preeminent gaming and hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages and franchises hotel-casinos, resorts, vacation ownership and hotel properties. Its World Wide Web address is www.hilton.com.