One hotelier answering this call started literally with a clean slate. The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa in Montgomery, Alabama recently opened their doors to the public and drew a plethora of media attention around their ability to offer this new experience. "Taking the hotel in-room experience to the next level became a formula of combining the right amount of content with an interactive user interface (UI) that was simple and could truly provide our guests with better access to the services and amenities at the hotel," said Scott Watts, Corporate Director of Technology with PCH Hotels and Resorts Inc.
Their goal was twofold:

1. create an active link between the TV menu and hotel services such as room service and spa bookings, golf tee-time bookings, and wake-up call set-up, and;
2. deliver a compelling set of HD entertainment options and flexible communications options for the guest.

The solution was a combined effort of the top industry companies which saw Guest-Tek lead the solution design as the general contractor with the support of CISCO, Avaya integrator Pruitt Communications, and FCS Computer Systems. As a result, various solutions were developed which, in turn, has made this an operating example of converged HSIA, Media, and Voice.
"Guest-Tek provided their OneView™ solution, which enabled an interactive, adaptable, and brandable user interface, connecting with our client through the television in ways that were simply not possible before," said Watts.  The result is a platform that draws guests back to our hotel and drives more revenue across a range of core hotel services.”

In Room Ordering- Guest can simply grab the remote and place their breakfast room service order though the television interface.  This simple measure eliminates the cost and hassle of door-hangers and daily order collection while increasing revenue through higher breakfast take rates.

Golf Reservations- In the final stages of completion, the Golf reservation page connects directly to a third party booking engine allowing guests to browse and book tee-times using only the TV remote at one of the 26 courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail surrounding the hotel.   
Spa Reservations- The ability to connect to any third party application that conforms to the OneView™ Media web plug-in interface has allowed leading edge solutions to integrate their custom applications into Guest-Tek's interactive OneView™ Media interface.

Top Media Content- Simple, intuitive, and interactive was not enough. Scott Watts’ vision also required world class content. "Any cable or satellite company can connect you with content, however content is more than broadcast TV. World class content, coupled with the biggest selection of high definition programming, allows us to meet and exceed guest expectations. Top channels and top content, delivered via a solid  entertainment system, is key," said Watts. Helping attain this objective was Guest-Tek's OneView™ Media FTG product and it’s partnership with EchoStar (DISH Network).

Telephony Solution- Avaya’s channel partner Pruitt Communications, and solution developer FCS, created a custom solution presenting access to local weather, flight info, hotel services, and of course wake-up call setup via the Teledex iPhones in each room.  

Wireless Solutions-  WiFi handsets in the rooms allow the guest to roam virtually anywhere in the Hotel taking their room phone poolside has become a common practice.  "Watching guests’ expressions when they receive phone calls directly to their WiFi handsets poolside is a joy for any hotel GM," said Watts. "We have upped the bar; our guests’ expectations will never be the same."

Converged Network- Guest-Tek’s has extensive experience in designing and deploying converged networks capable of supporting HD VOD and IPTV in addition to high-performance HSIA and IP Telephony.  To ensure the stability and reliability of all the applications on this network, Guest-Tek relies on CISCO as the workhorse behind the scenes.  With 346 rooms and over 100,000 sq ft of meeting space, 275 Mbps of TV running through the network, 346 display phones, plus over 400 Roaming WiFi phones for front and back of house, there is no room for failure on the network.

One day hoteliers may proclaim “In Room Interactive Television” as a key feature alongside expected features of today like “In Room HSIA & Air-Conditioning”.

Until then, we can still visit the future at the Renaissance Montgomery, in Montgomery Alabama.

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The solution at the Renaissance Montgomery consists of best in breed products from CISCO, Avaya, and FCS Computer Systems, all integrated onto the OneView network by Guest-Tek. CISCO set the network foundation for IP application to run, Avaya provided an IP Telephony solution using WiFi handsets and display phones, and FCS Computer Systems brought their applications to make the link between telephony and interactive media. Guest-Tek provided the OneView™ platform on which provides guests wireless High Speed Internet Access (“HSIA”) , Video-on-Demand (“VOD”), and Internet Protocol Television (“IPTV”) services.  Guest-Tek also provides 24 hour, 7 day a week live telephone support through it’s own support and network operations centers.

 Visit the Renaissance Montgomery website:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mgmbr-renaissance-montgomery-hotel-and-spa-at-the-convention-center/

1. 
   Guest-Tek products and services used in this installation:
   OneView™ Media HD http://www.guest-tek.com/product/video.php
   OneView™ Media Internet http://www.guest-tek.com/product/internet.php
   OneView™ Voice http://www.guest-tek.com/product/voice.php