Video games in hotels are nothing new. Nintendo's GateWay program has provided Nintendo handheld and home console experiences for airline passengers and hotel guests since 1993, sometimes through a third-party service like LodgeNet. But with the Wii's unique capacity to encourage activity and motion in players, Nintendo and Westin Hotels & Resorts are offering not just the Wii, but also the upcoming Wii Fit, with an eye beyond mere entertainment.

The Wii will soon be available at ten Westin hotels around the US as part of the WestinWORKOUT program, with plans for more to follow. Guests opting to stay in a WestinWORKOUT suite already have athletic hardware, weights, and fitness and health media at their disposal. This new announcement will add specially designed Wii systems to the rooms as well.

These Wiis are specially designed for the hospitality industry and can be automatically updated to offer new games as they become available. They use a simplified menu system and even have the ability to play featured games without inserting any discs. They will start off offering games like Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree, but Westin hotels will also feature the upcoming Wii Fit game and Wii Balance Board after the game is released. With Wii Fit specifically designed to offer yoga and a series of fitness-related exercises, Nintendo's making a clear effort to extend their reach beyond traditional videogame markets.

"Games like Wii Sports and the upcoming Wii Fit are ideal for business travelers and families who want to stay energized while on the road," offered Nintendo of America Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Cammie Dunaway. Likewise, Sue Brush, Senior Vice President of Westin Hotels & Resorts, expressed her belief that "guests will be eager to make Wii a part of their workouts during their stay with us."

Westin Hotels Want to Play… Westin Announces Industry-First Partnership with Nintendo

Becomes the First to Adopt Nintendo’s Specially Designed Wii Console for Hospitality Industry; Announces Plans for Integration of Wii Fit

REDMOND, Wash., & WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tennis, anyone? Nintendo and Westin Hotels & Resorts announce a partnership today that will allow guests to experience the Wii™ sensation with a special version of the console ideally suited for use in the hotel environment. Westin Hotels is the first hotel company to partner with Nintendo for its Wii console and will feature this specially designed console as part of the brand’s WestinWORKOUT program at 10 hotels across the United States. The special game console is pre-loaded with many popular games, including the groundbreaking Wii Sports™ game, and today debuts at WestinWORKOUT fitness centers at The Westin Times Square in New York City and The Westin Bellevue in Washington state.

Using the innovative motion-sensitive Wii Remote™ controller, WestinWORKOUT users can get both body and brain moving with a variety of interactive games, including Wii Sports (featuring tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing activities), Big Brain Academy™: Wii Degree and Wii Play™ and others, all played with natural, intuitive movements of the Wii Remote. The special Wii system will be updated automatically with hot new Wii games as they become available and includes features to simplify system management for the hotel property. A simple new game menu makes it easy to jump in and play without inserting game discs, and each property can manage what games are offered and how game data is stored.

"We jumped at the chance to be the first hotel to partner with Nintendo and add interactive entertainment to our successful WestinWORKOUT program," said Sue Brush, Senior Vice President, Westin Hotels & Resorts. "We think our guests will be eager to make Wii a part of their workouts during their stay with us."

With this partnership, Westin will be among the first hotel brands in the United States to receive delivery of Wii Fit™, the highly anticipated interactive fitness game, set to release during the week of May 19 in North America. Using another Nintendo innovation, the Wii Balance Board™ accessory, hotel guests will be able to participate in a dynamic mix of more than 40 yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance activities.

"Delivering an active entertainment experience is what Wii is all about," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Games like Wii Sports and the upcoming Wii Fit are ideal for business travelers and families who want to stay energized while on the road."

Eight additional Westin properties will join the program in May: The Westin Hilton Head; The Westin Crown Center, Kansas City; The Westin Harbor Castle, Toronto; The Westin Diplomat, Hollywood; The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco; The Westin St. Louis; The Westin Galleria, Houston; and The Westin Savannah Harbor. Westin plans to roll out additional Wii systems following guest feedback from the initial hotel pilot.

WestinWORKOUT was developed in partnership with worldwide fitness leaders to develop the travel industry’s most extensive fitness and wellness program. Last month WestinWORKOUT was extended with the addition of BrainBody Fitness, a program connecting mental and physical fitness through a series of original exercises distributed at each Westin throughout North America. By placing expert-recommended mind and body stretches in a variety of strategic hotel touch points, including the front desk, guestrooms, public spaces and WestinWORKOUT fitness centers, Westin is providing guests with simple and effective ways to sharpen their thinking and calm their minds and bodies for better health.

WestinWORKOUT state-of-the-art equipment and high-performance workouts provide the perfect solution for people committed to maintaining personal wellness. Customized WestinWORKOUT guestrooms feature full-body equipment for all levels of performance where guests can elevate their well-being with a challenging and exhilarating workout. Also available at select hotels is runWESTIN, a complimentary program offering guided, scenic three-mile morning runs three days a week. Led by Westin’s trained Running Concierge, the run includes a warm up session with training tips and can be customized into a fun individual or group run.

Westin Hotels & Resorts, with more than 150 hotels and resorts in more than 31 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 890 properties in more than 95 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien® and the recently announced AloftSM and ElementSM Hotels. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.