FIRST impressions matter. High-technology hotels are sporting the sleek, trendy and professional look-and-feel fitting for the sophisticated traveller. M Hotel’s rooms are “designed with function in mind”.
Rooms have high-speed internet access, large work area and a lap top safe for a “more productive and refreshing” stay. Goodwood Park Hotel has charging stations in safes for electronic devices. Grand Hyatt Singapore is also taking the demand for Internet access seriously. “We acknowledge the importance of total connectivity for today’s frequent traveller blending professional and personal lives 24/7.
They enjoy seamless easy to use ‘front end’ product with high speed technology,” said hotel manager, John Beveridge. “Initially in 2004, we invested S$1 million (about US$662,000) in the wired and wireless network infrastructure reconfiguring the entire hotel with a fiber optic backbone and minimum CAT 6 cabling throughout using Cisco switches.
“Thus, the hotel’s conference rooms can simultaneously handle over 400 computers interconnected internally and to external sources through a purpose built in-house subserver facility dedicated to the use of the client.” Internet access is available throughout the hotel. “Wi-Fi is accessible between guest rooms and public areas including poolside, restaurants and the Grand Club Executive Lounge,” Beveridge said, explaining that fast and seamless access to information is what the guests are looking for. Meanwhile, Orchard Road hotel has its lifts upgraded with informative panel via a built-in LCD display and key card access control panel for a high-technology experience.
To bring play into work right in the rooms, hotels such as Grand Hyatt Singapore and Ritz Carlton have state-ofthe- art LCD television as large as 37 inches, DVD/CD/VCD players and top-of-the-line sound systems.
“It is our goal at the Hyatt to provide our customers with the latest technology which is quick and easy to use. In our Terrace Wing grand rooms, we have 37-inch LCD TVs with Integrated Audio-Video control panels in each guestroom,” says Beveridge.
“Hotel guests connect their laptop and have the image projected on the LCD TV. They can choose to connect their MP3 player and integrate it with the sound system in the room.” After all, it is about satisfying the guests, coupled with technology, convenience and today’s lifestyle demands.
