.At HP and SS hotels I HAVE had a problem applying a gift card at check-in about half the time. The issue seems to be that the sole desk employee does not know how to do the (unnecessarily complicated) telephone procedure. Haven't tried it in a few months, and I expect at some point HP and SS staff will be able to apply a gift card by swiping the card like a credit card, which is how it works at Hyatt Regency hotels