Interactive TV to Revolutionise Hotel Industry

Posted September 20th, 2017

C&W Business launches Hospitality Interactive TV Janet Silvera, Hospitality Jamaica Coordinator Visitors to Jamaica will experience a revolutionised in-room entertainment experience made possible by the newly launched C&W Business Next Generation Hospitality Interactive TV. The new interactive system provides guests with the ability to record their favourite shows via a personal video recorder; access popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Pandora; control in-room TVs from smartphones; and take their content on the go with their iOS and Android mobile devices as they enjoy the best of Jamaica. Interactive TV is the latest in the line-up of ICT solutions introduced by C&W Business to support the Jamaican tourism industry. Commenting on the importance of the product in meeting the needs of the 2.2-million-plus stopover visitors that visit the island yearly, Donovan White, vice-president of C&W Business Jamaica stated, “Interactive TV delivers what today’s travellers have come to expect, which is the same high-quality TV experience while vacationing as they enjoy at home.” He continued, “Tourism is the lifeblood of the Jamaican economy and at C&W Business, we have consistently proven ourselves as a partner to the industry.” The state-of-the art Interactive TV solution gives hoteliers improved and differentiated services with a larger selection of high definition (HD) channels, updated channel line-ups (including up to 80 channels) and an easy-to-use programme guide to help guests find their favourite TV channel or discover specific hotel information, such as restaurants, bars and local attractions, right from their TV. Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort and Spa, having recently installed the new Interactive TV solution, has already expressed praise for its smooth deployment, seamless integration with the property management system and improved guest experience. “We are extremely pleased with the Hospitality Interactive TV solution. The solution interacts seamlessly with our property management system, allowing us to send personalised information to one guest, a group or even a block of rooms in real time. This is particularly useful when welcoming guests to the property for holidays or the celebration of important milestones, such as anniversaries and birthdays,” stated Cedric Gooden, group information technology manager at Jewel Resorts. “After all, who wouldn’t want to enter their room and be greeted by a personalised message welcoming them to the property, wishing them a great holiday and an even better anniversary celebration? Further, the ability for our guests to continue accessing their preferred television programmes on their smartphones offers a wow factor that, we believe, has exceeded our guests’ expectations.” ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY Gooden added that Interactive TV is also useful in streamlining the resorts, thrust as an environmentally friendly organisation. “It reduces the need for paper as we send daily schedules of activities, restaurant information and spa deals directly to guests via the television in their rooms.” The new solution is a commercial-grade TV service that is specifically designed to meet the needs of hotels, resorts and guesthouse operators to deliver a superior, connected guest experience. It can therefore be deployed across any type of infrastructure, eliminating the need for hoteliers to reinvest in re-cabling or shutting down rooms for time-consuming renovations. “We continue to innovate and invest in leading-edge technology so that we can provide products and services to enable hotels in the region to enhance their guests’ experiences and attract more customers, allowing them to compete in the global tourism sector,” said Garfield Sinclair, C&W Communications’ president of its Caribbean Business. “With more channels, in HD, higher-quality services and enhanced monitoring capabilities, this IPTV solution will help hotels to greatly differentiate their proposition.” There are two basic packages available to hotel and resort operators – C&W TV Lite (29 channels) and C&W TV Plus (67 channels), as well as a range of add-on packs, including Movie Pass, Kids Pass, Global News Pass, Sports Pass and Fox Pass. One of the most significant benefits for hoteliers, though, will be the ability to create a dedicated hotel channel that allows for the seamless communication of a variety of offsite and onsite programmes to their guests. This unique differentiator is made possible by the smooth integration of C&W Business’ digital signage and interactive TV solutions.