No Reservation Needed to Experience The Sweet Side of Travel: DoubleTree by Hilton Celebrates National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day with Global Giveaways

DoubleTree by Hilton, one of Hilton Worldwide’s (NYSE: HLT) 13 market-leading brands, celebrates National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day today sharing the brand’s signature sweet treat with travelers everywhere. To mark the occasion, the brand is also launching a series of collectible cookies tins and social contest.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160804005121/en/

No Reservation Needed to Experience The Sweet Side of Travel: DoubleTree by Hilton Celebrates National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day with Global Giveaways (Photo: Business Wire)

As part of DoubleTree by Hilton’s “Nice Travels” movement -- a multichannel effort driving random acts of kindness to prove that “nice” is contagious -- the hotel brand is offering its iconic chocolate chip and walnut cookie to anyone who walks into one of the brands more than 460 hotels worldwide – with or without a reservation.

The celebration continues through a partnership with Amtrak®, the nation’s intercity passenger rail provider, in an effort to bring the cookie beyond hotel doors and give travelers a chance to share the cookie with someone they care about.

The day’s activities are part of DoubleTree by Hilton’s ongoing efforts to stimulate more positive online chatter about travel, as the hotel brand’s Nice Travels Index reveals that only about 1/3 of the online travel conversation is favorable.

Traveler Tin Collection

The brand marks its annual celebration of the holiday with the launch of the Traveler Tin Collection of seven cookie tins inspired by some of the most loved travel destinations around the world. Destinations commemorated by the Traveler Tin Collection include California, Chicago, Florida, New York, Texas, The Carolinas, and Canada, with additional international destinations to launch later this year. Travelers can purchase tins from the collection at participating DoubleTree by Hilton hotels and online at doubletreecookies.com; or win tins by participating in the brand’s Instagram Roulette Giveaway.

“At DoubleTree by Hilton, we’ve dedicated ourselves to spreading niceness every day, starting with the signature warm cookie welcome that each guest receives,” said Dianna Vaughan, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton and Curio – a Collection by Hilton. “The Traveler Tin Collection and our other National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day activities celebrate the cookie and offer travelers fun ways to share their experience with loved ones.”

Instagram Roulette Giveaway

To mark the launch of the Traveler Tin Collection, DoubleTree by Hilton is posting a video to Instagram showing images from each Traveler Tin destination. To win a tin full of cookies – or something even sweeter – fans can take a screenshot of their favorite destination from the video and DM it to @doubletree. The giveaway runs through August 12, 2016. For terms and conditions, see here.

Amtrak Partnership

Partnering with the Amtrak Guest Rewards® team on National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, DoubleTree by Hilton will surprise people in two of Amtrak’s busiest stations: New York Penn Station and Chicago Union Station.

In the spirit of Nice Travels, the DoubleTree by Hilton team will hand out thousands of the brand’s signature chocolate chip cookies in pairs of two – encouraging passersby to keep one and share one with someone else. In each station, the first 25 people who mention “Nice Travels” to a DoubleTree team member will receive a full tin of cookies from the Traveler Tin Collection.

The Nice Travels Index

To intercept the online conversation about travel and give small acts of kindness the attention they deserve, DoubleTree by Hilton introduced in April the Nice Travels Index, a real-time social listening and measurement tool that tracks online sentiment towards travel and travel conversation. The Nice Travels Index revealed that in spite of a global affection for travel – with more than 620,000 Twitter users identifying as passionate travelers – just 36 percent of the online conversation about travel is positive.

To make a positive change and celebrate the things we love most about traveling, DoubleTree by Hilton has used the Nice Travels Index to identify, share and reward acts of niceness, contributing to a 5 percent decrease in negative conversation about travel online since the April launch of the index. The hotel brand will continue using the Nice Travels Index to engage with consumers in real-time through “surprise and delight” giveaways throughout the year.

For information about the brand’s Nice Travels campaign, visit NiceTravels.com. For additional information, photography and video footage, media can visit news.doubletree.com/NiceTravels.

About DoubleTree by Hilton

DoubleTree by Hilton is a fast-growing, global collection of more than 465 upscale hotels with more than 112,000 rooms in gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations across six continents. Everything about DoubleTree by Hilton aims to return the human touch to travel, starting with the presentation of a warm chocolate chip cookie upon arrival and continuing throughout with Team Members dedicated to Creating a Rewarding Experience (CARE) for hotel guests, other Team Members and the communities the brand proudly serves. DoubleTree by Hilton properties offer unique, contemporary accommodations and full-service facilities including restaurants and lounges, room service, health clubs, business centers and meeting and banquet space. Hilton HHonors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels receive instant benefits, including an exclusive member rate that can’t be found anywhere else, free standard Wi-Fi and digital amenities like digital check-in with room selection and Digital Key (selected locations) available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors app. To make reservations at any DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, travelers may visit our brand website at doubletree.com. Social media users may connect with us at facebook.com/doubletree, twitter.com/doubletree and youtube.com/doubletreehotels. Reporters and bloggers may visit our DoubleTree by Hilton Global Media Center at news.doubletree.com for more information.

About Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, comprising more than 4,700 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties with over 775,000 rooms in 104 countries and territories. For 97 years, Hilton has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company's portfolio of 13 world-class global brands includes Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Curio - A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®. Hilton HHonors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to benefits including exclusive member rates, free standard Wi-Fi, as well as digital amenities that are available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors app, where HHonors members can check-in, choose their room, and access their room using a Digital Key. Visit news.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160804005121/en/