Get a room
aloft hotels ' Eric Marlo
upgrade our bandwidth now and in doing that , future-proof the brand for newer technologies ,” he says . “ Even with Room- Cast ” – that ’ s Aloft ’ s new streaming service – “ and voice-activated hotel rooms and guests signing on with multiple devices , we still have room for more . For now , that is . In 10 years , maybe not .”
One option is installing a fiber-to-room infrastructure that delivers higher bandwidth at lower costs and takes up less physical space . This would work best for a new construction or a major renovation .
“ It ’ s very promising in reducing a lot of technical issues , especially regarding infrastructure ,” Marlo says . “ We have a number of owners looking to implement it , but it ’ s still very new in the hotel world .”
investing in unknoWns Every hotel must invest in technology infrastructure and new products even if the return is a big unknown .
“ The return is hard to measure ,” HotelAVE ’ s McMonigle says . “ It ’ s more subtle . It ’ s more about the ability to satisfy your customers .”
Quint , the GM at Hotel Irvine , agrees . “ Providing our guests with the speedy service they want , and how they want it , drives loyalty and repeat stays , which is where the true gain is ,” he says .
Marriott doesn ’ t have mobile streaming yet , but it ’ s something they are “ working hard ” to offer , says Mike Dearing , executive vice president of finance for Marriott Hotels , simply because they know it ’ s what their target guests want .
“ The faster the Internet can be , the more we can accommodate the bandwidth ,” he says . “ It can be difficult to balance the economics with demands . But more and more owners are willing to move in that direction knowing how critical it is for today ’ s guest .”
Richard Millard , chairman and CEO of Trust Hospitality , says hotel owners have to make calculated long-term decisions . “ Some of this stuff moves so rapidly . You don ’ t want to be a guinea pig , but you don ’ t want to be left behind , either .”
Either way , the set-top box ’ s days are numbered . “ The guest room of the future will be based on integration of the guest ’ s personal device as the primary controls mechanism ,” UNLV ’ s Rippee says .
Indeed , HotelAVE says some hotels are waiting for their pay-per-view contracts to expire so they can upgrade to a more modern streaming solution . Marlo says Aloft Hotels still has a pay-per-view system in their hotels , for now . “ We ’ re always looking at what ’ s going on and trying to stay five to 10 steps ahead of that ,” he says .
Obsolescence will always be a concern . David Israel , senior vice president of HotelAVE , recommends that hotels sign shorter time contracts with vendors , opting to pay a little bit more up front for the services or have it amortized over a shorter period of time . “ The idea and concept is not obsolete when you ’ re planning it but the moment you put it in , you ’ re already behind . Because it takes six months to do it and then another six months to get it in ." Ripee says hotel owners and developers should pay closer attention to trends . “ They can ’ t afford to wait until the customer is demanding ( technology ) to start thinking about how to employ it ,” he says .
Get a room
What guests are looking for With in-room entertainment
• Take control . “ Guests want to take control of their room environment . It ’ s our job as leaders of innovation in hospitality to push the envelope and bring as many options to our guests as we can .” — Eric Marlo , global brand leader , Aloft Hotels
• No apps . “ People are sick of apps . They don ’ t want to put a new app on their phone every time they stay somewhere .” — Richard Millard , chairman and CEO , Trust Hospitality
• Convenience . “ Guests want convenience at a good value . They also want quick and easy to understand and operate technology .” — Jeroen Quint , general manager , Hotel Irvine
• Customization . “ Gen X and Gen Y want customization ... to have their own personal experiences when they want them .” — Michelle Russo , founder and CEO of HotelAVE
• Choice . “ The guiding philosophy for us is to give people the option . There are still folks who like to interact when they check in and have human contact , then there are people who love to do it all through the Marriott app . We want to make it easy for people to do things their way .” — Mike Dearing , executive vice president of finance , Marriott Hotels
“ Some of thiS Stuff moveS So rapidly . you don ’ t want to be a guinea pig , but you don ’ t want to be left behind , either .”
RichaRd MillaRd , chaiRMan and cEO , TRusT hOspiTaliTy
December 2016 hotelsmag . com 51