SEATTLE, WA— The Grand Hyatt Seattle hotel from day one has embraced high-speed Internet access for its guests. This is attributable in part to its close proximity to the most dominant software maker in the world in Microsoft Corp. and the influx of tech-savvy visitors coming to the area. Opened in July of 2001, the hotel, here, has offered HSIA in all of its 425 guestrooms and suites and as word of mouth spreads, usage rates for the service has been steadily increasing, according to Doug Sears, gm of the property. When the property first opened, guest usage for the service was around 7% or 8%, but now during peak occupancy when the hotel’s meeting space is being utilized, guest usage runs about 40%, he said, adding that an average usage level is around 20%. “I think when we first built the hotel, high-speed Internet access was still new and we thought it was going to be a temporary advantage,” Sears said. “But we also knew our competitors were in the process of having it installed. Most of the brand names in Seattle now have high-speed Internet access for their guests,” he said, adding the hotel currently does not charge guests for their Internet usage. “Having high-speed Internet access is very important for hotels,” Sears said. “The functionality of the whole experience of the guestroom is going residential. Guests want what they have set up at home, and on the road, you need to be more efficient than at home. Many people are going high-speed at home and that is what they are expecting in a hotel now,” he said. The hotel itself uses Tera-Beam’s Network Fiberless Optics technology through a wireless network to provide guests with HSIA, Sears said. This allows the hotel to increase its bandwidth as needed, specifically if a large group is booked that is heavily using the service, such as Microsoft, he said. Although the hotel does not offer any wireless service in public spaces to its guests yet, its “MIS manager is working on several options currently but we have not yet narrowed it down to one provider or option just yet,” Sears said. But the Grand Hyatt in Seattle is not just simply offering hard-wired HSIA to its guests, it is also encouraging group and meeting business with 25,000 square feet of meeting space equipped with a Web-based multi-media system. The space incorporates virtual LAN technology capable of creating an internal network for groups attending meetings, as well as allowing these meeting-goers to gain access to off-site servers through a Virtual Private Network (VPN), Sears said. In addition, the Grand Hyatt Seattle has a 150-seat amphitheater fully equipped with data ports and power outlets at each seat, which is ideal for group meetings or training seminars, Sears said. “We do a good deal of training business. We get a lot of groups that see the room and then want to use it for training,” he said, adding that about 50% of the hotel’s overall business is group related. Also in the amphitheater is a 12’ by 10’ XVGA rear projection video screen with a single-point, remote control audio/visual system. The room has the capability to record and broadcast for events, as well, Sears said. While the Grand Hyatt Seattle uses TeraBeam’s wireless solution, GuesTech is its “support company,” Sears said. “They provide the service for the hotel guests. They provide monthly reports that show what percentage of guests use the service,” he said.
