Hilton to make space travel more hospitable

DoubleTree by Hilton will take its iconic warm welcome to new heights when its famous chocolate chip cookie becomes the first food baked in space.

Making aerospace history, DoubleTree by Hilton will launch a batch of DoubleTree Cookie dough along with a prototype oven in a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). It will be part of a microgravity experiment that will begin later this year.

The space project is in collaboration with Zero G Kitchen and NanoRacks, which aims to bring Hilton’s signature welcome to the ISS, making long-duration space travel more hospitable. Zero G Kitchen creates appliances for microgravity use in long-duration space flights, while NanoRacks is a provider of commercial access to space.

Hilton will be the first hospitality company to participate in research aboard the space station.

“We’re excited to send our hospitality into orbit”

Shawn McAteer, senior vice president and global brand head, DoubleTree by Hilton, commented: “Hilton has long been an industry innovator, and as we celebrate our 100th year, we’re excited to send our hospitality into orbit. The simple gesture of a warm cookie welcome is a favourite of DoubleTree guests around the world, and now we are sharing that moment of hospitality as part of this experiment aboard the International Space Station.”

Ian and Jordana Fichtenbaum, the husband and wife team at Zero G Kitchen responsible for the space oven concept, said the DoubleTree Cookie was their first thought when they began imagining the creation of an oven to make space travel more comfortable.

“A warm welcome to space”

“Opening up the frontier of space means making it relatable to people’s everyday lives, and what could be more relatable than a freshly baked cookie?” said Ian Fichtenbaum, co-chef and co-founder, Zero G Kitchen. “When we first concepted the oven, we naturally thought of DoubleTree by Hilton and its signature cookie. It is the perfect treat to bring a warm welcome to space.”

DoubleTree by Hilton will also develop an educational program related to hospitality in space for 50,000 middle school classrooms across the US. This supports Hilton’s Open Doors Pledge, the company’s commitment to connecting, preparing or employing at least one million young people by 2019.

The program and accompanying curriculum, which includes a lesson and activity sheet, will focus on better understanding the challenges of living and working in space, and encourage students to think creatively about what innovations need to occur to ensure long-duration space travel is comfortable and hospitable.