Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced it is transforming the standard in-room television into a fully connected, interactive entertainment center and virtual concierge at its full-service properties across the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. Once the installation is complete, guests will have access to a range of offerings that, depending on location, include interactive entertainment, hotel services, local information, and advanced features that go well beyond the technology guests today expect to see.
“Imagine a world where you can use your hotel room television to place your room service order, book a local tour, stream a movie from your Netflix account, and download a document to be printed at the front desk,” said Pete Sears, senior vice president of North America operations for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. “This is the future hotel experience at Hyatt.”
The systems have already been installed in the nearly 1,800 guestrooms at Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Andaz 5th Avenue in New York, and most recently at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. Over the next two years, the technology will be installed in up to 60,000 guestrooms across Hyatt’s North America properties.
The upgrade will allow properties to welcome their guests to the room with a personalized greeting and mood-setting music, and offer new features that include the ability to browse the Internet to visit Facebook, Netflix, YouTube and other popular websites; manage and print documents, spreadsheets and presentations; make hotel room service orders and housekeeping requests, such as new towels or extra robes; access local directions; and make dinner reservations. Meeting and group planners will also be able to use the service to send customized messages, information and updates directly to the rooms of guests attending their function.
In preparation for the upgrades, Hyatt evaluated how technologies would meet its guests’ needs and expectations during a hotel stay. Insights from the research showed that guests want to use technology that match, and even go beyond, the ways in which they enjoy technology in their homes. Guests consistently cited several capabilities as especially important, including more diverse channel lineups, an interactive program guide, streaming video capability, engaging games, the ability to connect portable devices to a television, and the opportunity to access hotel information and make hotel service requests.
The new technology will be provided by Roomlinx Inc. (OTC: RMLX.OB - News), a leading provider of premium hotel and resort in-room media, entertainment and business solutions. Hyatt is the first major hospitality brand to integrate Roomlinx’s service across such a large number of properties and brands.
“Hyatt’s decision to offer guests expanded technology and entertainment services marks a bold transition within the hotel industry,” said Michael Wasik, CEO of Roomlinx. “The consumer appetite for new and fun in-room technologies has been far outpacing what most hotels offer. Hyatt will now be able to further satisfy that appetite.”
Hyatt has recently launched a number of additional technologies to help enhance the guest experience, including:
· The Hyatt app for iPhone®, which allows users to search and explore hotels, book new and view existing reservations, as well as check-in and check-out while on-the-go. Guests can join, get special offers and track point balances through Hyatt Gold Passport.
· Hyatt has deployed iPads® to speed up and simplify check-outs; guests can use this technology to review their folio and have it printed or emailed without having to wait in queue for an available front desk agent.
· Hyatt’s Andaz hotels use iPads® to perform check-ins, accept payment, and provide room keys even before guests set foot in the front door or while walking to their hotel room.
· Hyatt’s Express Welcome, currently in a pilot program, allows guests at participating hotels to check-in online before arrival and retrieve their room number. Upon arrival at the hotel, guests can use their personal keycard, a special issue Gold Passport loyalty card, to open their room door.
