How Wired Is Your Room?
High-speed Internet? Of course. In-room iPod and docking station? Check. IP Video on Demand in High Definition? Er, coming right up!
As hotels compete for tech-savvy travelers, the most forward-thinking have begun offering videos on demand in high definition. Many properties have offered HDTV in guest rooms for some time. Now the trend-setters have introduced a feature allowing guests to call up high def videos on the screen whenever they want.
Seattle-based Hotel 1000, which tries to give guests all the hot tech options (including virtual golf and the ability to summon their cars on a touch-tone screen) has just introduced the high def video feature in all of its rooms. The Hotel Valencia in uber-techie San Jose also features the service. The six-star Crown Macau hotel in Macau, China is also offering it in all of its rooms.
As more folks get HDTV, including video, in their homes, more hotels will feel obliged to offer the same features in their rooms. I predict that in two to three years, high def videos will be as common in hotels as mini-bars.
But will guests use them more than they do the oft-neglected, usually overpriced peanuts, beer and mineral water stocked in the room?
You tell me. How high does getting high def videos rank on your wish list of things you think hotels should have?
By Gary Lee |
June 28, 2007; 10:12 AM ET
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Gary Lee
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Hotels
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Posted by: LV | June 28, 2007 12:28 PM
I'd rather have a good selection of basic cable channels than pay-per-view HDTV on demand. Quite often I'll stay at a more upscale hotel that restricts channel choice to ensure purchase of their PPV movies. I'd rather have my Comedy Central and SciFi shows than $10 porn.
Posted by: WA2CHI | June 28, 2007 1:03 PM
I think if it's a luxury hotel chain, like Four Seasons or Marriott, it's nice to see those type of high tech amenities. In many cases I'm staying at hotels on business, and I like to have the things I have at home - it's not a neccesity but it certainly impacts your choice in hotels if one has a plasma and wireless internet when the other one doesn't.
Posted by: Emily | June 28, 2007 2:15 PM
I think if it's a luxury hotel chain, like Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton, it's nice to see those type of high tech amenities. In many cases I'm staying at hotels on business, and I like to have the things I have at home - it's not a neccesity but it certainly impacts your choice in hotels if one has a plasma and wireless internet when the other one doesn't.
Posted by: Emily | June 28, 2007 2:15 PM
I recently had business stays in a Hyatt and in a Westin. In both I paid $10 per day for internet service. I also recently stayed in a Days Inn (not by choice - it was the only place in the remote town where I was consulting). Internet service there was free.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 28, 2007 3:45 PM
I travel regularly for business, and I'd much rather have Turner Classic Movies and free wireless Internet access in my hotel room than HD-anything.
Posted by: DMS | July 2, 2007 4:53 PM
I take my laptop with me wherever I travel, so high-speed internet (wireless, please) is always my preference. If it's free, that's $10 savings every day... then more if I watch movies on my computer through one of the new subscription sites like Netflix, Movielink or Reeltime (there's a free $15 coupon at reeltime.com/nweaa). Whatever I can save on my expense report is a good thing.
Posted by: lolliegersh | August 7, 2007 7:21 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
As a person who really only uses a hotel as a place to sleep (I do love high end hotels for that purpose though), these offerings are lost on me. And as long as they are ridiculously overpriced, I wouldn't even consider using them.