GLOBAL UPDATE
FROM
PENINSULA ’ S LAB
In the Royal Suite ’ s bedroom , silver satin is gathered to form a draped bed canopy .
Picture a scene from a James Bond 007 movie with Agent Q in his white lab coat rigging up Bond ’ s Aston Martin with gadgets and booby traps . Now move that scene to an office in Hong Kong , where Ingvar Herland , general manager of research and technology for The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd ., is also in a white lab coat with his team , designing , manufacturing and implementing electrical and electronic guestroom systems . Providing the latest and greatest technology is a Peninsula Hotels signature and the responsibility of Herland , who company founder Sir Michael Kadoorie affectionately refers to as Q2 since he followed the Peninsula ’ s original “ Q ,” Fraser Hickox , in 2006 .
Today , Herland is most proud of the new in-room platform just installed in the flagship Hong Kong Peninsula and destined for other Peninsula hotels . Systems include touchscreen tablets that allow guests to personalize room controls , signage and information . Bedside and desk tablets as well as wall panels also offer access to in-room dining menus , hotel services , streaming
“ EVERYTHING TALKS TO EACH OTHER AND IMPACTS ALL OTHER ITEMS IN THE ROOM .”
– INGVAR HERLAND , A . K . A . Q2 , ON PENINSULA ’ S NEW IN-ROOM TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
television , temperature controls and more . The one item Herland decided against installing in the guestroom — because “ it looked strange ” — was a scale to weigh luggage . “ You can look at all items individually , but I am the most proud of the integration ,” Herland says . “ Everything talks to each other and impacts all other items in the room .”
Herland says the biggest challenge he faced during this process was related to coding . “ You need to have many programmers talking to each other to get all the different protocols communicating ,” he says . “ It takes lots of manpower , software development , project management and follow-up with vendors .”
Herland is also trying to optimize energy systems but does not want to install sensors , because he thinks they are too intrusive for guests .
The next big thing , according to Herland , is being able to upgrade software in the guestroom with firmware . “ With smartphones , things are not so hardware-oriented ,” he notes . “ Now you can do a lot of functionality upgrades with firmware — even remotely from the lab .”
ROYAL
The InterContinental London Park Lane is paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II with a suite designed by
TREATMENT The Gallery at HBA London .
For the first decade of her childhood , the queen lived in a building formerly located on the site of the current hotel , and now the 1,453-sq-ft ( 135-sq-m ) Royal Suite is modeled on Her Majesty ’ s fashion sense . A palette of warm platinum and pearly cream is accented by soft shades of yellow , the queen ’ s signature color . The classic loop-shaped clasp found on Her Majesty ’ s iconic black handbag is used as a motif throughout the space via drawer pulls , door handles and a brass nail head pattern on the doors . Other details include floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the wall behind the bed , an inbuilt cocktail cabinet with mirrored back panels and backlit onyx shelves in the dining area and a traditional writing desk in the library set in front of a sweeping view of London .
“ I hope the suite will be cherished by its guests long after they have left as a completely comfortable home away from home characterized by the taste , wit and attention to detail synonymous with the British monarch ,” says Inge Moore , principal of HBA London and The Gallery .
10 HOTELS March 2013 www . hotelsmag . com