More than 7 million guests have
experienced the industry-leading Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts Sleep
Advantage program in the year since it launched. The program, which goes
well beyond the bed to ensure that business travelers experience a good
night’s sleep, has led both guests and franchisees to sleep better. “I can tell you that when you stay at a Crowne Plaza, you will get a good
night’s sleep,” said Doug McCabe, a Boston-area business traveler who, for
the past three years, has spent some 50 percent of his work days on the
road, many of them at Crowne Plaza’s Atlanta-Buckhead property. “A lot of
hotels have great beds, but none of them gives the extra perks like Crowne
Plaza. I particularly enjoy the sleep CD.”

Since the implementation of the Sleep Advantage in May 2004, Crowne
Plaza’s Guest Satisfaction Tracking Survey has measured a nearly 10.5
percent increase in bed/pillow scores. Guests also rave about the
Guaranteed Wake-Up Call and other products and services that Crowne Plaza
offers to promote great sleep.

“The brand took on a lot of responsibility when we launched the Sleep
Advantage,” said Kevin Kowalski, vice president, brand management, Crowne
Plaza Hotels & Resorts. “At each of our hotels, we changed the bedding,
upgraded the sleep environments and began ensuring that every single
wake-up call was made on time. But it’s paid off, as evidenced by the
guest- satisfaction scores and the growth we’re experiencing.”

The Sleep Advantage program encompasses the entire sleep experience, from
training staff on how to create and maintain a restful environment to
providing innovative products and services. Beyond the guaranteed wake-up
calls, the program includes designated quiet zones, sleep CDs,
nightlights, drape clips and a sleep kit that includes an eye mask,
earplugs and lavender spray. In addition, Crowne Plaza introduced a plush
bedding collection featuring duvet covers, down pillows, cotton blankets
and 200-thread-count sheets.

The Sleep Advantage elements are designed to work together to create an
environment conducive to consistent, sound sleep. Crowne Plaza spent more
than a year developing the program, working closely with Michael Breus,
Ph.D., one of the nation’s foremost sleep-disorder experts and the “sleep
doctor” for WebMD.

Following that year of study and research, Crowne Plaza brought the
program to market in rapid fashion, rolling it out to all 113 of its North
American properties - more than 32,000 rooms in all - in less than 100
days.

Kowalski attributed the feat to the hotel brand’s strong relationship with
franchisees. Since the program launched, the franchisee community has
embraced the program as not only a way to build loyalty among guests, but
as a strategic business objective to facilitate growth.

“The program has been a great success with guests, who are seeing the
benefits of getting a good night’s sleep, and with franchisees, who are
looking at converting or building new Crowne Plaza hotels to strengthen
their portfolios,” said Kowalski. “We currently have 18 Crowne Plaza
hotels in the development pipeline in the Americas region.”
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