LAS VEGAS—As televisions in hotel rooms have gotten bigger—to keep up with expectations of guests—it’s become a common problem of guestroom design: how to keep theTV from overpowering the room.
For some hotels, the solution is to tuck TVs neatly away in cabinets until such time as the guest wants to use it. These disappearing TVs—made possible via TV lifts—allow guests the opportunity to watch their favorite shows without eliminating the elegance of a luxury hotel experience.
Palms Casino Resort and Palms Place Hotel & Spa, here, is one property that utilizes TV lifts in roughly 20 of its 702 guestrooms, namely in some of its villas, themed-suites and two-bedroom deluxe salon suites. The Palms has had its current lift solution for eight years, but according to Tim Dobson, VP, specialty markets, Nexus 21, which provides the lifts, more and more hotels are following the lead of early adopters like The Palms. “It was a function of the overall economic climate,” he explained. “About a year ago, we really started to feel a little more interest from hotel groups around the world. About four to six months ago, we started completing some projects that were larger in scope.” According to Dobson, word of mouth among hotel executives has been a major factor in the increase in this trend. “It’s a booming time for us,” he said.
Each lift is universal for almost every kind of flat-screen hospitality TV. In addition, the cabinetry that holds the out-of-sight TV can be as shallow and compact as needed, or can have a false wall to create storage space in front, for hotels that typically use the space under the TV for drawers.
Todd Baker, lead a/v technician for The Palms/Palms Place Hotel and Casino facilities, engineering department, noted that disappearing TVs help with the aesthetics of the guest experience. “Having the TV drop out of sight allows for less space to be taken up in the bedrooms, as well as allowing an undisturbed view out of the window of our city skyline while lying in bed,” he said. “It’s just another bell and whistle that adds to the appeal of a room or suite. The guests like the convenience of it.”
“There are a number of reasons why hotels choose lifts,” added Dobson. “It’s a differentiator and it helps the guest experience. Exceptional design deserves to be free from restraints. So often, hotels are constrained because it has to be a 40-in. TV, and you have to be able to see it from the bed and the seating area. It leaves you with only certain ways to place furniture, it can detract from the view, and that’s not ideal.” He noted that for luxury properties and hotels that market a getaway experience, this enables them to showcase those assets without in-your-face technology.
Baker stressed that the elimination of TVs from sight is, in fact, convenient for the guest because the technology is so intuitive. “We almost never have to explain how to use it,” he said. “Ours are controlled via a single remote, so pressing the on button turns on the TV, as well as lifts it.” There are a number of ways to program the lifts including interfacing with the existing TV remote, integrating it into a controls system that typically operates features such as temperature, curtains or blinds, or by using a standalone remote for the lift. “There’s no learn ing curve,” said Dobson. “We’ve always had some great remarks on the fact that it can be seamlessly integrated and there’s no training of the guests.”
According to Baker, safety isn’t an issue with the lifts, “as they have safeguards built into them that won’t allow a guest to injure themselves while operating them.” These include a breakaway lid and safety software built into the brains of the mechanism. Hotels can control the sensitivity of the software, which allows the column to stop and reverse once it meets resistance.
Baker noted that prior to installing Nexus 21’s lifts, the hotel had used TV lifts that were limited to a 32-in. screen. “Now that the prices of LED TVs have dropped, we are using lifts that allow us to use a few different styles or sizes of TVs,” he said. According to Dobson, the price point for the lifts means that this amenity is accessible to many different properties. “This is a luxury product, and it’s often used in high-end properties,” he said. “It’ll never be in economy, but it doesn’t have to be a five-star hotel. One of the things we’re most proud of is we make luxury available to a larger group of customers.” He added that the price point means three- and four-star properties can utilize lifts. “It’s a good surprise that sets them apart,” he said.
Baker added that the total cost of ownership of the TV lifts pencils out as well. “Just the fact that we don’t have to add a mount or purchase a piece of furniture to place the TV on almost covers the cost of the lift,” he said. “Plus, I think some of our guests are more inclined to stay with us for future visits because it’s just one more of the little perks they get when renting the same type of room from us.”