Hotel offers bar discounts for Foursquare check-ins

(2010 foursquare)

Aloft has joined competitors such as InterContinental and Four Seasons by embracing location-based services to offer consumers hotel deals.

The Starwood-owned chain said December 10 that it would offer a 20 percent discount at its bars to users who "check-in" for the first time using Foursquare.

Checking-in is used not in the traditional hotel sense, but to describe location-sharing using a compatible smartphone and services such as Foursquare or Gowalla.

Aloft also confirmed that it has launched a Foursquare-specific page, which provides branded tips and destinations, events and promotions, as well as reviews and insider tips from friends who have visited.

The bar discount is valid through January 18, 2011 and is valid for w xyz bars in the US.

Aloft joins an growing group of accommodation providers using location-based services to attract and retain guests - Hilton, for instance, has plenty of properties with a presence on the service.

In September, Four Seasons announced plans to offer a $100 (€79) spa or dining credit to guests who checked into the locations it recommended using Foursquare's competitor Gowalla.

Several major brands including InterContinental and Kimpton use the Topguest service, which is compatible with both Foursquare and Gowalla as well as Twitter and Facebook, to offer loyalty points or discounts to visitors who check into their properties.

http://foursquare.com/aloft_hotels