NEW YORK— HOTEL BUSINESS® has learned Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ St. Regis brand is getting ready to ratchet up its technology profile, and will infuse millions of dollars to create “an ideal tech room.” “We have a program that will significantly upgrade the technology package and take us to the next level in all our existing hotels in North America,” said Brand President Atef Mankarios, noting “Our first incremental investment is $5 million.” He added those funds already have been allocated to bring the room to into existence. Most of the St. Regis hotels in North America already are wired for advanced technology, such as high-speed Internet access. Those that aren’t will be wired during first quarter, Mankarios said. “But the new program will go way beyond that.” The brand is creating an “ideal tech room,” a prototype that is expected to be finished by the end of the third week of January, at which time it will be shown to Starwood Chairman/CEO Barry Sternlicht and COO Robert Cotter. Asked if the room would be similar to The Peninsula Group’s smart room, Mankarios said, “I think we will use it as the floor and go from there. We’ve been looking at that for the last four months. We’ve looked at some of our colleagues and competitors in the market and we’ve seen areas where we can improve significantly on that [type of operation]. “ Peninsula Group expanded its technology reach in 2000, layering in proprietary “guest-comfort” innovations, including a bedside control panel. A guest can adjust the cooling/heating system, television, radio, CDs, alarm clock, reset the fax machine, switch on night lights as guides to the bathroom— even draw the drapes— without getting out of bed. Other tech amenities include: hands-free telephone with touch control and a television set with steam-free screen in the bathroom; pinpoint reading lights above the bed and; a silent fax machine. Mankarios said St. Regis would be upgrading every aspect of its technology package to address different needs, such as video on-demand. Right now, the brand’s newest property, the 400-room St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa, Dana Point, CA, offers rooms with Web TV, wireless keyboards, dataports, high-speed Internet access and a DVD/CD player with a choice of more than 300 selections. “Broadband will be just a standard, but we want to provide a lot more than that in terms of in-room entertainment, inroom security and inroom control and comfort of the guest electronically,” said Mankarios. “Technology is going to mean a lot more to us than just broadband and high-speed Internet access. I am trying to integrate all elements of a ‘safe house’ for our guests. Safety, security, comfort, the business side of it, entertainment side of it. We will integrate all of that into an ideal St. Regis room.”
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