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The St Ermin’s Hotel London opts for Swisscom’s connected hotel TV & Internet package

The St Ermin’s Hotel London is set to ‘plug’ into the world of IP television and web based guest services as it becomes the first hotel to take delivery of Swisscom’s new ConnectedHotel TV solution. This announcement comes one week after the launch of the new solution by Swisscom and LG.

ConnectedHotel TV is the only interactive TV solution for the hospitality industry which delivers HD TV, video on demand and wired and wireless Internet access to a purpose designed LG flat screen via one converged network. The system runs on any functional network infrastructure, be it Coax, structured cabling or the telephone line / VDSL. With minimal hardware - the system does not require a set-top box – maintenance and energy cost are reduced to a minimum. Hoteliers also benefit from a single operator who manages the service all the way from the movie server to the TV screen.

Swisscom will supply ConnectedHotel TV to a total of 328 rooms as part of a major refurbishment which is now underway at this 100 year old hotel. Swisscom already provides seamless Wi-Fi coverage throughout The St Ermin’s, a service that will be complemented by Wired Internet access in all guest rooms at no additional cost once new TV install has been completed.

Steve Eckley, SVP Amerimar Hotels, owner of The St Ermin’s, explains why Swisscom became the preferred technology partner for this project:
“We are impressed by the cost-effectiveness of the new ConnectedHotel TV solution, but also by the flexibility offered by the Swisscom system to customise the guest interface. For example, as an additional revenue stream, we can now create advertising packages to encourage partner businesses, e.g. local bars, restaurants and visitor attractions to promote their services via our TV screens.”

“Also from an investment point of view the ConnectedHotel TV package that Swisscom presented is most attractive. Not only do we save the cost of 400 set-top boxes and their ongoing energy consumption, Swiscom was also happy to adjust their pricing model to suit our business needs. We now have a transparent cost structure which we can review as new web based content and guest services becomes available to us. Plus we have scope to apply different pricing levels for films as the economic climate changes over time.”
ConnectedHotel TV owes its cost-effectiveness to its unique “all-in-one” design and its seamless network integration, which allows Swisscom to monitor the performance of all 400 TV screens at The St Ermin’s the same way as it accommodates guests’ own devices within its High-Speed Internet network. “We expect further economies from Swisscom’s unified network management approach, for instance when it comes to identifying TV hardware problems that would normally have triggered a call to a technician”, adds Steve.

Comments Simon I’Anson, VP Sales EMEA for Swisscom Hospitality Services: “ConnectedHotel TV comes at a time when many hoteliers still struggle with a number of providers for different guest services and service elements like cabling, hardware, software and content. Typically these service providers are all mutually unconnected, resulting in unnecessary cost. We are determined to bring simplicity and savings to an industry whose operating cost structures are still way too high.”