Car Key With Room Key

-- Hotels, 5/1/2008

The upscale extended-stay AKA chain, which has nine apartment-style hotels in the eastern United States, is offering guests a complimentary one-year membership to Zipcar, a car sharing company that lets users pick up and drop off cars at specified points throughout major American cities, enabling convenient car rentals by the hour.

The free US$50 membership also includes the US$25 administrative signup fee and a US$25 usage credit (Zipcar rates start at US$7 per hour, depending on locality; fuel, insurance and reserved parking spaces are included). In addition, each AKA property offers “Top Zip Trips,” a list of local recreational activities and driving destinations. The cars themselves include GPS units and picnic baskets, and other car-appropriate amenities can be arranged by local concierges.

AKA approached Zipcar about the partnership last year. “We felt that what they were doing with the convenience of using a car just for a few hours would be a perfect fit for our guests,” says David Fields, AKA marketing manager.

Some properties have a designated Zipcar on site, while city center locations with limited parking will have Zipcars accessible within walking distance.