Doubletree

This article is about the hotel chain. For the pivot mechanism used for draught animals, see Whippletree (mechanism).

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Doubletree by Hilton

Industry	Hotel
Founded	1969
Headquarters	McLean, Virginia, U.S.
Number of locations	220+
Area served	Worldwide
Parent	Hilton Worldwide
Website	www.doubletree.com

Doubletree by Hilton is a worldwide brand of upscale, full-service hotels and resorts trademarked by Hilton Worldwide. There are currently more than 220 locations with 55,000 rooms worldwide in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Peru, China, United Kingdom, Italy, Slovakia, Tanzania, Norway and India.^[1] Most Doubletree hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees, however, some are owned and/or managed by Hilton Worldwide.^[2] Doubletree by Hilton is currently the shirt sponsor of English Football League One club, MK Dons F.C..

Brands

The Doubletree by Hilton product line includes Doubletree by Hilton Hotels; Doubletree by Hilton Guest Suites, Doubletree by Hilton Club; and Doubletree by Hilton Resorts. There are more than 200 hotel properties in gateway cities, airport locations and suburban markets throughout the United States.

Outside the United States, hotels are branded as Doubletree by Hilton. Doubletree by Hilton today has seven locations in the UK, five hotels in China, three in Italy, two in Canada, two in Peru, two in Costa Rica, two in Tanzania, two in Slovakia, one in Malaysia, one in Russia, one in Norway and one in Ras Al Khaimah UAE.^{[citation needed]}

History

• The first Doubletree by Hilton hotel opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1969 next to the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall. This location is now the Scottsdale Days Inn. The land is on lease from the mall.^[3]
• The second Doubletree hotel opened in Tucson, Arizona, in 1974 and is still in operation.^[4]
• Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies were introduced in the 1980s.
• Doubletree Corporation was formed in 1994, following the merger of Guest Quarters Suites Hotels and Doubletree Hotels.
• Red Lion Hotels and Doubletree Corporation merged in 1996.
• Promus Hotel Corporation and Doubletree Corporation merged in 1997.
• Hilton Hotels Corporation acquired Promus Hotel Corporation in December 1999.
• In 2006 Doubletree Hotels began using Dinah Washington's "Relax Max" song in one of their television commercials.^[5]
• The brand's first Latin America hotel, the El Pardo Hotel, joined the brand in 1995 and is now known as Doubletree El Pardo by Hilton Hotel in Lima, Peru.
• The brand's first Asia hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton Beijing in Beijing, China, opened in July 2008.^[6][7]
• The brand's first Europe hotel, the Cambridge Garden House Hotel in Cambridge, United Kingdom is now known as the Doubletree by Hilton Cambridge and opened in April 2008. Cambridge Garden House Website
• The brand's first hotel in the Caribbean opened as the Doubletree by Hilton San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico in Summer of 2008.^[8]
• The brand's first Africa hotels opened simultaneously in the same month with two hotels in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, Tanzania in November 2009.^[9]
• Doubletree senior management consists of; Rob Palleschi - Global Head of Doubletree, Gary Steffen - VP Performance, Mary Beth Parks - VP Marketing and Anne Thompson - Global Director Doubletree CARE Culture, Thomas Wingham - Global Director Public Relations, Carrie Reynolds - Global Director of Sales and Diana Plazas - Global Director Interactive Marketing.
• The brand's first South East Asia hotel is the Doubletree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Located just 10 minutes from Petronas Twin Towers, it was opened in 2010.^[10]

The Doubletree Cookie

Doubletree presents a freshly baked, warm chocolate chip cookie with walnuts to each guest at check-in. Used to suggest Doubletree hospitality, the cookie has been used to supposedly differentiate the Doubletree hotel brand from its competition. The cookies are also referred to as "warmers" by staff because of their warm temperature. Doubletree cookies are baked several times a day in the kitchen of the hotels’ restaurants, and are kept warm in ovens built into the hotels’ front desks — each oven is about the size of a two-drawer lateral file cabinet.^[11]

Doubletree gives out approximately 35,000 chocolate chip cookies each day, and a total of over 220,000,000 since inception. Each cookie weighs 2½ ounces and has an average of 20 chocolate chips and walnuts. Although many people try to duplicate the recipe of the Doubletree chocolate chip cookie, the secret recipe has been protected by the brand for the past two decades by ensuring that all cookie dough is manufactured and distributed to Doubletree Hotels worldwide from The Christie Cookie company in Nashville.^[12] In June 2002, Doubletree gave its 100,000,000th cookie. In December, 2009, Doubletree presented its 200,000,000th cookie.

More than 1,000,000 of the Doubletree cookie have been presented to charity and local philanthropic organizations. The brand also celebrates special holidays year-round by offering complimentary cookies at its hotels to the public on Canada Day, Independence Day, Halloween and Christmas.^[13]

Doubletree and corporate social responsibility

Doubletree claims to place a strong emphasis on Corporate social responsibility in their day-to-day business. The brand has launched a variety of projects that include working with local schoolchildren and identifying strategic partners for their hotels to work with on community outreach and environmental awareness projects.^[14]

Founded in 2002, the Doubletree Teaching Kids to CARE program connects Doubletree hotels with local elementary schools and youth groups to educate children about caring for their community and the environment. More than 150,000 grade school students in 175 communities around the world have been empowered to take simple steps toward conserving and preserving the planet. The brand has received 40 awards and accolades for their philanthropic work with this program.^[15]

Doubletree Hotels has joined forces with some of the world's nature, humanitarian and education organizations. Some of the non-profit partnerships Doubletree has worked with in recent years include the Arbor Day Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, American Red Cross, Woodland Trust and World Food Programme. In 2008, Doubletree Hotels received the Promise to the Earth Award from Arbor Day Foundation - the organization's lifetime achievement award for the company's work in connecting kids with nature.^[16] Through the Doubletree Teaching Kids to CARE Program, the hotelier has generously planted 300,000 trees around the world, donated 750,000 Doubletree cookies to deserving community groups, raised $250,000 for hurricane relief and recovery and adopted 2,500 endangered animals.^{[clarification needed]}

Since its introduction in February 2008 and continuing through February 2011, Doubletree is currently the exclusive national sponsor and presenter of the first traveling tree museum exhibit - Exploring Trees Inside and Out - with the Arbor Day Foundation. This interactive environmental education exhibit has traveled to several of the top science centers and children's museums across the United States. Already seen by more than 650,000 people since February, 2008, the project is projected to reach more than one million visitors during its three-year tour. Exploring Trees Inside and Out is designed to encourage kids to connect with nature and explore the wonders of trees.^[17]

In September, 2009, Doubletree became the charter sponsor of the Homecoming Wood in Milton, Scotland, UK with the Woodland Trust. The Homecoming Wood is located in the scenic Trossachs and designed to restore and preserve vital woodlands for future generations.^[18]

From a business standpoint, Doubletree reinforces its claimed commitment to environment and sustainability, with more than 60 of its hotels currently certified or recognized by green lodging and sustainability organizations around the world.^[19]

References

1. ^ About Doubletree Website
2. ^ 2008 World Franchising Profile on Doubletree Hotels
3. ^ Daysinnscottsdale.com
4. ^ Doubletree Hotel Tucson at Reid Park website
5. ^ YouTube video of commercial
6. ^ Doubletree El Pardo by Hilton Lima Website
7. ^ July 25, 2008 Doubletree Press Release for Doubletree by Hilton Beijing opening
8. ^ Doubletree by Hilton San Juan website
9. ^ Doubletree by Hilton Resort Zanzibar-Nungwi Website
10. ^ [1]
11. ^ New York Times article, A Cookie Calling Card for Travelers, Charles Delafuente, January 11, 2010
12. ^ Christiecookies.com
13. ^ Doubletree 1st and 4th of July Cookie Giveaway Press Release 2009
14. ^ Doubletree Hotels Think Trees CSR Website
15. ^ Doubletree Teaching Kids to CARE website
16. ^ Lincoln Journal-Star Article on Arbor Day Foundation 2008 Promise to the Earth Award to Doubletree Hotels
17. ^ Doubletree/Arbor Day Foundation Exploring Trees Inside and Out website
18. ^ Stirling Observer Newspaper story on Doubletree donation to Homecoming Wood in Milton, Scotland
19. ^ Doubletree Green-Certified Hotels website

External links

• Doubletree web site
• Doubletree Think Trees CSR site