CHICAGO— Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts on a brandwide basis is renting out cellular phones to guests through the concierge desk. While the hotel company, for the most part, has found that most people tend to carry their own cell phones, it has noted the following observations: • In Washington, DC, there is a big spike in rentals— up from the norm of two to 20— when international conferences, like IMF/Worldbank, come into town. • In New York the service of renting a phone only is offered, without a service agreement, to accommodate those who travel with Chip-cards. • In Lima and Quito, South America, more phones are rented out to American business travelers whose phones do not work in foreign countries.
