Lack of Knowledge Prohibiting Americans from Using Etiquette to Their Advantage

Hyatt Place® partners with The Emily Post Institute and Anna Post to share modern etiquette lessons that give today’s professionals a competitive advantage

Nearly three out of four people say they’ve noticed those who get ahead in life practice proper etiquette, according to a new survey conducted by Hyatt Place¹. Now, Hyatt Place has partnered with etiquette expert Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, to provide travelers and today’s professionals with contemporary etiquette advice needed to gain a competitive edge.

The advice is based on one-of-a-kind First Place Training each Hyatt Place Host has mastered. Post, who attended this training, adapts its principles of respect, genuine interaction, and relationship building to real-life professional and social interactions through a series of etiquette tips, answers to frequently asked questions, and more on TheEtiquetteEffect.com.

Survey Reveals Etiquette Could Be Missing in Daily Interactions

Hyatt Place surveyed Americans to find out how they approach personal interactions and found they’re lacking some etiquette skills that could get them ahead:

• Good listeners? Maybe not. 80 percent of Americans rate their listening skills as good or excellent, yet 75 percent wish others would check their PDAs less often when engaged in a conversation
• Interaction Avoiders. More than one out of four respondents would never go to a party alone if they did not know someone who would be attending
• Confrontation Dodgers. Nearly 50 percent of people wish they could handle saying no to a friend or colleague more gracefully

“Etiquette plays a role in just about every personal and professional interaction, and First Place Training includes so many lessons that would benefit today’s professionals,” says Post. “The advice found on TheEtiquetteEffect.com incorporates First Place Training lessons and the philosophy taught at The Emily Post Institute, which ultimately empowers people with a comprehensive foundation of etiquette skills that can help them get ahead.”

First Place Training Teaches the Etiquette Effect

During First Place Training, Hyatt Place Hosts master the skills needed for success both professionally and personally – and learn how to avoid common etiquette mishaps. The proprietary Hyatt Place First Place Training provides Hosts with the tools to engage with guests sincerely and effectively through real-life examples. Hosts learn important lessons that are adaptable to their daily lives such as: conversation skills; presenting your best self; how to make a connection and more.

“Guest responses to Hyatt Place have been tremendously positive and the majority of comments we receive focus on how the guest’s experience was enhanced by the service our Hosts provided,” said Alison Kal, vice president, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “We recognized that today’s professionals could also benefit from the same skills Hosts have mastered, so we partnered with Anna Post to show today’s professionals how they can benefit personally and professionally if they leverage the same modern etiquette principles on which First Place Training is founded.”

TheEtiquetteEffect.com

To help today’s professionals realize the effect modern etiquette has on daily professional interactions, TheEtiquetteEffect.com offers a comprehensive look at what is appropriate in today’s workplace, including:

• A column from Anna Post on a variety of topics related to modern etiquette, such as why etiquette makes a difference, workplace scenarios and technology dos and don’ts
• Practical business etiquette tips from Anna Post
• A weekly poll of consumers’ personal and professional etiquette issues and timely insights from Anna Post about the results
• The opportunity for guests to post a message recognizing a specific Hyatt Place Host or hotel for extraordinary service

Hyatt Place Host Awards

First Place Training is a proven success, and Hyatt Place receives daily praise from guests who are impressed by the level of service they receive. To acknowledge the Hosts who make a difference in the guest experience, Hyatt Place is asking guests to nominate a Host or hotel who used these skills to make their stay as pleasant and productive as possible. Guests can submit their service story about a particular Hyatt Place Host or hotel on TheEtiquetteEffect.com. Nominees will be featured on the site and all those who submit an experience are eligible for a chance to receive a free night stay at any Hyatt Place in the country.(a)

Hyatt Place Background

Hyatt Place was inspired by the changing landscape of contemporary, multi-tasking business travelers, who have successfully adapted to today’s “24/7 lifestyle,” seamlessly merging personal and professional activities. To that effect, Hyatt Place ranked Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Full Service according to J.D. Power and Associates. To help guests achieve this satisfaction, Hyatt Place offers an atmosphere of casual hospitality with a balanced mix of comfortable and functional amenities.

• Guestrooms: For work, guests can take advantage of the complimentary Wi-Fi, oversize desk and ergonomic chair in each room. And when it’s time to relax, they can stretch out on the eight-foot Cozy Corner sectional sofa-sleeper and watch their favorite shows on the room’s 42-inch flat panel, high-definition television. Each room’s innovative Hyatt Plug Panel™ also allows guests to connect their own entertainment media to the television, including laptops, MP3 players, DVD players or any other portable device. At bedtime, the signature Hyatt Grand Bed™ ensures guests will enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.
• Gallery: An innovative welcoming arrival area where guests are greeted by a Gallery Host who assists guests with everything from check-in to providing tours of the hotel, the Gallery offers two self-registration kiosks, an intimate coffee and wine café and bakery, free Wi-Fi, a TV den and an “e-room” with free access to public computers and a printer with secure print-ahead technology.
• Mealtime: Guests at Hyatt Place may purchase signature hot breakfast entrées along with Starbucks® specialty coffees or enjoy a free continental breakfast. Hyatt Place also offers a variety of freshly prepared, café-quality items, including made-to-order entrées, sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza, which guests can order 24/7 via a touch screen menu in the Guest Kitchen or from a Gallery Host.
• StayFit@Hyatt: To help guests stay physically and mentally productive, each Hyatt Place offers a StayFit@Hyatt gym featuring state-of-the-art Life Fitness® equipment.

About Hyatt Place

Hyatt Place is a new kind of Hyatt for today’s relaxed lifestyle. Hyatt Place is ranked Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Full Service according to J.D. Power and Associates. Catering to today’s discerning travelers, Hyatt Place combines The Hyatt Touch® with stylish design, purposeful amenities and forward-thinking technology. Hyatt Place is a brand of Global Hyatt Corporation that currently offers nearly 120 locations nationwide and will offer 130 hotels by year-end 2008. For Hyatt Place information or to make a reservation, call 1-888-HYATT-HP (888-492-8847) or visit www.HyattPlace.com.

About Anna Post

Anna Post is an author, etiquette expert and business etiquette seminar presenter for The Emily Post Institute. Her media interviews include USA Today, The New York Times, the Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and Modern Bride magazine. The Emily Post Institute was founded in 1946 and is run today by third and fourth generation family members of Emily Post—America’s most trusted and best known arbiter of etiquette. The Institute includes more than twenty books, published by HarperCollins on topics from wedding and business to children and everyday life; columns in Good Housekeeping, Parents, InStyle Weddings and the Boston Globe; and business etiquette seminars. The Posts do hundreds of media interviews each year. Visit www.emilypost.com.

About Global Hyatt Corporation

Global Hyatt Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world’s premier hotel companies. The hotels owned, operated, managed or franchised by its subsidiaries provide authentic hospitality to guests in 45 countries through a passionate commitment to personalized service, cultural relevance, and the environment. Global Hyatt subsidiaries own, operate, manage or franchise more than 365 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Resorts™, Grand Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt Summerfield Suites® and Andaz™ brands with additional properties under development on five continents. Global Hyatt Corporation is also the owner of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc., operator of Hyatt Vacation Club®. The success of Global Hyatt is driven by the commitment and energy of the approximately 90,000 men and women around the world who provide exceptional service to hotel guests. From the U.S. and Canada, reservations for any Hyatt hotel worldwide may be obtained by calling 1-800-233-1234 or visiting www.hyatt.com.

Hyatt Place received the highest numerical score among mid-scale hotel chains with full service in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study^SM. Study based on responses from 53,453 guests measuring 12 mid-scale hotels with full service and measures opinions of guests who stayed in a hotel May 2007-June 2008. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed June 2007-June 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

(a) HYATT PLACE^® ETIQUETTE EFFECT SWEEPSTAKES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Open to individuals, 21 years or older, who is a legal resident of one of the 50 United States of America or Canada (excluding Quebec) at the time of entry. Sweepstakes begins at 12:01 a.m.(ET) on August 21, 2008, and ends at 11:59(ET) on December 1, 2008. To enter the Sweepstakes you must share your Hyatt Place experience via the on-line Hyatt Place Etiquette Effect page theetiquetteeffect.com. You will be asked to provide your first and last name, e-mail address and name of the hotel where you experienced Hyatt Place. To enter by mail for free, hand print your first and last name, complete address, city, state, ZIP code, daytime telephone number, date of birth, and e-mail address (if available), on a 3 x 5 card and mail in an envelope to: Hyatt Place Etiquette Effect Sweepstakes, Attention: Public Relations, 71 South Wacker Dr. 16^th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Subject to official sweepstakes rules located at www.theetiquetteeffect. Prize: odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Thirty- (30) winners will receive a certificate for one free night at any Hyatt Place hotel. Sponsor: Select Hotels Group, LLC, 71 South Wacker Dr. 16th Floor Chicago, Illinois 60606.

¹ On behalf of Hyatt Place, StrategyOne conducted a nationally representative online study of 1,000 Americans, ages 18+. The survey was conducted between July 14-17, 2008.