Microsoft's Bill Frizzel (left) and Rezidor's Wolfgang Neumann discuss how to provide guests with the tools to use their own media rather than the hotel's.
More than internet
But an adequate internet connection alone would not satisfy today’s traveller, according to the experts.
The panel said many leading hotels continue to force archaic technologies upon guests, rather than enabling in-room connectivity of their own devices. One example cited is the pay-TV function often available in guestrooms — allowing guests to select from a list of films, television programmes and albums at a charge — which will soon become “obsolete”.
“The end of pay-TV is happening in front of us already. If you look at hotels, only 3-4% of occupied room guests are using it and that’s declining fast. If you had that non-use in any other area of the hotel operation it wouldn’t be there,” said Price.
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Price explained that today’s guests preferred to stream their own entertainment through ‘plug-and-play’ options such as iPod docs and televisions with USB ports.
“We have to make it [in-room technology] simpler rather than better. Making it simpler is when your own device can talk to the TV directly. If you’ve not bought into the internet it doesn’t matter. We’re not talking about a dream technology; it’s something that’s here today. It will be mainstream in our homes within the 2013-14 timeframe. Nothing is simpler than playing entertainment through our own television.”
Microsoft Corporation director of enterprise business architecture Bill Frizzel said technology providers had already begun looking at in-room technology from a connectivity — not entertainment — point of view.
“I’m having a laptop built that has wireless video capabilities and it’s not long until we will see TV manufacturers building those devices into their sets as standard.”
Neumann observed that guests are not interested in listening to a hotel’s music or watching its television.
“What you have at home you expect in a guestroom but we don’t necessarily provide that today, our homes are better equipped than the guest room. If my kids don’t have an opportunity to plug in they get upset.
Music plays a key role; it’s not only about the business traveller. It is how we have the whole connectivity in the bedroom to make it simple.
“The pace of development is so fast I can’t keep up with my kids, as an operator the key challenge is implementing what’s available today in 70 countries consistently with the brand,” added Neumann.
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