If you're a guest of the Starwood hotel chain--which includes W and Sheraton locations-and you hate standing in line or are just too late to wait for that one clerk babbling on the phone, there's a new way to check out: The PDF way.

After a successful pilot at the W New York in Times Square and the Sheraton Boston, the chain announced that its automated checkout system--which culminates in e-mailing a PDF receipt to the customer after a credit-card transaction is made at a kiosk--will be deployed "at a number of its downtown, convention and airport hotels next year." The two pilot hotels are Starwood's busiest.

"Data from our two pilots is positive," said Carl Cohen, vice president of Property Technology Business and Systems Strategy for Starwood. "It suggests that for those guests with an affinity for technology, this product improves the experience during arrival and check-in, and significantly expedites the check-out process."

For more information, visit Starwood Hotels and Resorts.