In this article, we look at why guest technology is changing beyond recognition.Ensuring guests have the best possible experience is no longer just about traditional hospitality but about seamlessly delivering a whole raft of communication, entertainment and service options.

How do hoteliers keep up, how can technology providers be managed and what are the most important issues?

To find out we spoke to Graeme Powell, managing director, EMEA at iBAHN, the only global provider of digital entertainment and Internet solutions for the hospitality and meeting industries, working with more than 2,500 hotels, conference centres and meeting spaces in 28 countries.

The pace at which hotel guests are demanding technology services seems to be increasing quicker than ever, why is that?
There are some simple facts that we must all consider when looking at
guest technologies. The demand for bandwidth continues to grow as guests demonstrate an insatiable “need for speed”. The Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG’s) recent ‘Pipe Dreams’ report confirmed that by 2012, British Internet connections will need to be around 10 times the speed of their current average, which is somewhere between 2 megabits a second and 8 megabits in the UK. In comparison, 100 megabit connections in cities such as Hong Kong and Seoul are common.  This “Bandwidth Tsunami” effect will put further pressure on existing hotel networks particularly in locations where the hotel has chosen to provide the service free to guest.

The emergence of the iGeneration, a term I am very fond of using, meaning the current generation that is growing up using iPods and iPlayers etc, demand access to these services where ever they go.

Therefore, there is little dispute that the future of Internet usage and related digital entertainment in hotels will continue to explode as a direct result of a more interactive and social web, where users share data and, most importantly video through web applications. 

So what can hoteliers do to keep up with this demand?
In our experience, recognising the movement towards increasingly personalised content is a prerequisite.  This means that hoteliers will need to offer easy access to an increased range of content.  Guests will have so many different content requirements that the only way to service their needs will be to provide a portal to the internet that enables them to access their preferred content from the web rather than the often limited hotel selected content. You only have to look at the number of TV stations now streaming their content live or allowing downloads to realise that TV will soon be online as standard. Secondly, digital convergence must be the focus if hoteliers want to continue providing a high quality service to their guests.

For many hoteliers, digital convergence means ‘triple play’ – the integration of voice, data and TV/video solutions onto one physical network. At iBAHN, we believe this is only the first step.

The next stage is often overlooked, but is crucial in our minds. In fact, we are pioneering the integration of guest applications with hotel EPOS and Energy Management Systems ensuring total guest and hotel IP convergence.

We understand that hotels want to reduce costs, increase revenue and differentiate themselves from the competition, and this is the beauty of digital convergence. Not only is it more cost effective because it reduces network and support costs, it also puts customers at the centre of hotel operations, making ordering and delivery of guest services simpler, faster and more efficient.

For example, using a TV GUI (Guest User Interface) means that for the first time guests can order room service, purchase gifts and sundries, reserve a table at the restaurant or even book a game of golf or spa treatment via the guest TV remote control. This increases promotional opportunities, drives guest uptake and delivers increased revenue.

Furthermore, as our network is a complete end-to-end digital IP network, any existing and emerging IP products can be added seamlessly. We are also developing new ways to take integration further still, adding building and property management as well as environmental control and security.

So is digital convergence actually an opportunity for hoteliers?
Without doubt, there are obvious savings in supplier management and costs by bringing together your guest services and hotel systems. Emerging technologies are also new revenue streams, and therefore hotels should leverage technology as a differentiator to increase occupancy and RevPAR.

The focus should also be on improved guest experience. After all, future-proofing your hotel to take advantage of every new opportunity is the sensible way to approach the continuing demand for new technologies, greater bandwidth and more digital entertainment, therefore ensuring your guests’ experience is constantly ahead of expectations.