NATIONAL REPORT— The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is looking to ratchet its in-room technology and entertainment up a notch to better reflect the overall luxury environment of its properties. To do this, the hotel company is embracing the most up-to-date TV, DVD, telephone, sound and property networking systems in an effort to offer its guests the latest in technology and entertainment. “In-room entertainment and technology vs. video-on-demand or pay-per-view, to us, is a much different beast,” said Douglas Clark, vp/technology for the Americas at Mandarin Oriental Group. “It has to have a five-star look, feel and elegance that is suited to the rest of the room.” Specifically, in its recently opened New York location, the Mandarin Oriental has installed a new, high-definition multimedia system by General Dynamics Interactive using LCD displays and surround-sound systems to provide a home theatre-like guest experience. It also includes movies-on-demand with the ability to pause, fast-forward, rewind and bookmark the movie, according to Clark. Integrated into the entertainment system is an AM/FM stereo radio and DVD/CD player. Hotel guests can also access the Internet via the TV or a laptop in their room, or they can access the Internet wirelessly in the hotel’s common areas. The hotels also offer the ability for guests to select high-resolution electronic artwork and coordinated music to display on room TV’s, he said. “We want to take people above and beyond in every aspect of their visit. What we try to do as a group is deliver an experience that is as good or better than you have in your home. From sheets to art on the wall to the TV,” said Clark. What is so unique about the offering is that Mandarin is giving guests the ability to pick and choose more than just two-hour movies, Clark said. “We have a broader distribution of content. People on a business trip watch VOD movies from Hollywood an average of 32 minutes. They don’t have time to watch a 90 minute movie but they do have time for 30 minutes of content,” he said. The added content will also be tailored toward the hotel’s specific market. For example, New York properties may get to view Seinfeld reruns while the West Wing may air in Washington D.C., he said. “In Miami, for instance, we want to have some content available in Spanish,” Clark said. At both the New York and Washington, D.C. properties, each room has high-definition TV systems, with every room in New York containing LCD displays as well, Clark said, adding the remaining Mandarin Oriental U.S. properties will be retrofitted. “We are making an enormous push for high-definition content to go along with these systems,” he said. Also, all the in-room technology is tied to the hotel’s PMS system, according to Clark. For instance, if a French-speaking guest checks in, he can have his voicemail, TV menus and any other help text translated, Clark said. As a result of this integration, all messages— from voice to fax— can be delivered through the guestroom TV set, he said.
