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Hospitality: The Guest Experience
[February 20, 2007]

Hospitality: The Guest Experience


Analyst, Access Intelligence LLC
 
A focus on the “guest experience,” particularly in high-end hotels, has brought about a significant transformation in hospitality solution offerings from leading telecommunications vendors. Today’s travelers are seeking all the amenities and functionality of their home or office when choosing a hotel. Telecom vendors that once offered straightforward add-on software packages with popular hospitality features now bundle together a comprehensive, tailored solution that includes leading-edge technology often from third party partners.


 
High-speed Internet access, wireless coverage, video conferencing and new guest room technology are among the leading-edge developments for today’s hospitality environment. Consider the following statements from hoteliers and manufacturers about their latest hospitality offerings.
 
“Together with business partners Al Farak and Intercol, Alcatel (News - Alert)-Lucent was chosen to implement a fully integrated and secured converged solution [for Banyan Tree Desert Spa and Resort in Bahrain] that would provide IP telephony, digital video, and both wireless and cabled data networking across the entire site.”
 
“Superlative guest service is a hallmark of Wynn Las Vegas,” said Stephen A. Wynn, chairman and CEO, Wynn Las Vegas. "When we designed the new resort we were committed to putting the very best technology to work in innovative ways. Avaya (News - Alert) met that challenge with an intelligent communications solution that enables our guests to enjoy new levels of customer service throughout the resort."
 
“The wired and wireless network infrastructure, built with equipment from Cisco, places Grand Hyatt at the leading edge of hotels serving the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions sector.”
 
Mitel’s (News - Alert) tailored hospitality solutions now offer enhanced features that drive increased brand recognition and customer loyalty through an elevated and personalized guest experience,” said Sandy Janes, Mitel’s director of vertical marketing. “In addition to repeat business and revenue generation capabilities, Mitel’s new phones and applications optimize operational productivity and costs through integrated third-party applications like call accounting, and property management systems.”
 
“Our guests – and especially our business travelers – have ever-increasing needs for easy-to-access, reliable communications to stay connected with customers, colleagues, families and friends wherever they are in the world. Nortel’s (News - Alert) IP phone solution helps us to reinforce our position as a leader in bringing a rich, high-tech experience to our guests,” said Mr Nigel Roberts, managing director of the Langham Hotel, Hong Kong.”
 
Telecom manufacturers and their partners are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to hospitality, meeting any and all requirements set forth by top-notch hotels. In addition to providing a superior guest experience, hotels are also seeking new revenue streams that make up for the decline in telephone usage in favor of e-mail and cell phones. A key trend is the display of Web-based advertising content on IP telephones in guest rooms. For example, local restaurants, golf courses, spas and other attractions can pay a fee per call-through to have their contact information on the phone display.
 
Learn about the latest hospitality solutions from leading telecom vendors, including Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, NEC (News - Alert), Nortel and Siemens, in newly formatted TelecomTactics hospitality reports. Reports include target market, guest telephone capacity, guest telephone features, front desk features and basic applications such as call center, voice mail and networking. Advanced applications are also outlined, including support for High Speed Internet Access, conferencing (audio, multimedia and video), speech recognition, unified messaging and wireless solutions for guests and hotel staff.
 
Below is a sampling of the hospitality solutions currently on the market. Visit www.telecomtactics.com and the newly-renovated TelecomTactics Hospitality Module for more solutions and full details.
 
 
Excerpt from TelecomTactics February 2007 www.telecomtactics.com
Vendor:
Avaya
Mitel
NEC
Percipia
Siemens
Hotel Station Maximum
450 (S8300 to 36,000 (S8720)
1,400 per controller (65,000 per cluster)
6,144 (4,000 IP)
24-7,500 (30,000 per cluster)
12,000
System Compatibility
Avaya S8300, S8400, S8500, S8720 Media Servers
Mitel 3300 ICP
NEC UNIVERGE SV7000
Cisco CallManager and CallManager Express
Siemens HiPath 4000
Property Management System
Third-party PMS integration
Third-party PMS integration
Third-party PMS integration
Third-party PMS integration
Third-party PMS integration
Guest Telephones
Analog, digital (such as 8400 and 6400 Series) or  4600 IP Phones, including the color Avaya IP screen phone
Analog, digital or IP phones, including the customizable Mitel 5300 Series
Analog, digital (such as NEC Series i) or IP phones, including  the customizable INASET
Analog or IP phones from Cisco, including the 7970 color touch-screen IP phone
Analog, optiPoint digital or IP phones, including Siemens optiPoint 420 Series
Front Desk
Avaya equipment or specialized software from third party partners such as IntelliDESK  from System Development Company (SDC)
Mitel 5550 IP Console with Guest Room mode
NEC SN716 Attendant Console with optional SN718 ADD-ON CON-A Module or the Hospitality Center System application
Cisco CallManager Attendant Console with Special Attendant Services for  tracking guest preferences
Siemens Hospitality Attendant Console (North America) or HiPath Hospitality Service Center (other regions)
Specialized Applications:
 
 
 
 
 
Guest Display with Web Content
O
O
O
O
O
High Speed Internet Access
O
O
O
O
O
Unified Messaging
O
S
S
O
O
Video Conferencing
O
O
O
O
O
Wireless
O
O
O
O
O
…for more features and functionality, visit www.telecomtactics.com
 
S=Standard O=Optional
 
For more information, contact:
 
Sandra M. Gustavsen, Analyst/TelecomTactics
Access Intelligence LLC
1111 Marlkress Road, Suite 203
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
856-424-1100 x11

 
Sandra M. Gustavsen is an analyst for TelecomTactics and Access Intelligence, LLC. To see more of her articles, please visit the TelecomTactics column page.

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