IN-ROOM ENTERTAINMENT: What’s hot, what’s not…and what’s in store?
by Alex Van Tol

It’s 9:38 pm, and Robin Whitecomb has just checked into his hotel. The hallways are quiet as he makes his way toward his guestroom, keycard in hand. The lock flashes green and he pushes open the door. He enters the darkened room, switches on the bedside lamp, and kicks off his shoes in its warm pool of light. He sits. He stretches, rolling his stiff neck and shoulders. It’s been a long day. 

Hit pause. At this point, it’s up to you to decide what Robin’s choices are in terms of in-room entertainment. Does he want to check the sports scores? Or would he rather blow off steam with a game? He’ll want to check his emails before tomorrow’s meeting, and he might feel like watching that new Hollywood blockbuster. As a hotelier, you want to meet all of Robin’s business needs while providing ample selection among different entertainment media. 

It’s tricky for hotels to present the ideal mix of in-room entertainment options. Hoteliers want to offer the best amenities to guests, in part to generate revenue, but on the other hand, new technologies are costly and can take ages to show a return on investment (if they ever do). “Hotels have to spend some money to get there,” says Stacey Mansfield, Director of Rooms for Vancouver’s Sheraton Wall Centre, “and you want a reasonable rate of return. But if you do it well you’ll always get it back.” That means keeping a close eye on which offerings generate revenue for your property, turfing those that don’t, and determining how fast you’re going to try to keep up with today’s ever-changing technology. There’s an urge to stuff every guestroom with the most up-to-date technoware, but here’s the rub: retrofitting rooms with the newest gadgetry means big bucks - and disruption to guests. Even ordering extra components in an entertainment provider’s package, such as games or digital music, can be costly if they’re not used much.

BC hotels have mainly selected judiciously from the available choices, with a majority of properties opting to offer a wide variety of pay-per-view movies and in-room Internet access. Games and digital music are less frequently offered, although many mid- and high-end hotels offer clock radios as well as CD and DVD players for guest use. “All our guestrooms are wired for high speed Internet,” says Brenda Meikle, Public Relations Coordinator (Pacific Northwest) for Fairmont, adding that lounges and common areas are wireless. While wireless in all guestrooms is a trend hotels are moving toward, it bears mentioning that wireless in common areas draws guests out of their rooms and into the proximity of shops and restaurants. Some properties, such as Accent Inns, the Ramada Hotel Prince George and the Coast Prince Rupert Hotel offer free wireless Internet in all guestrooms. “We have found that most of our guests have wanted wireless Internet,” says Mandy Farmer, VP of Accent Inns. Ramada Sales Executive Dan Gutwillinger notes that wireless makes sense because of the hotel’s business clientele, and it’s also a popular feature with pleasure travellers. The Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, the Westin Bear Mountain in Victoria, Sutton Place Vancouver, and Hyatt Regency Vancouver offer wired or wireless Internet for a fee. As wireless connectivity is an increasingly valued convenience for guests, many hotels are beginning to edge away from providing it for free, as the cost of maintaining fast, reliable connectivity is high. Why not have guests absorb it?
In-room games aren’t as popular. They’re not universally in demand, as is the Internet. For example, it makes more sense for a family-oriented property to offer games than one that services the corporate set. Sheraton Wall Centre, with its business crowd, dropped games from its OnCommand package due to mediocre revenue. Although Fairmont does offer Nintendo at some of its properties, there are no company plans to invest in more games. “Trends change so fast in gaming that you’ll spend the money this year, and next year people are playing a different game,” Brenda says. (While not strictly in-room, an interesting use of gaming technology is being employed at Hotel Vancouver’s Absolute Spa, where the company has devised “Pedicure Thrones” for its male clients. The throne consists of a leather chair with a private gaming/Internet/TV console so clients can be entertained while having their treatment.) Research has shown that games are not huge revenue generators, but for those hoteliers who do wish to offer them, because they get a lot of family traffic, most gaming systems now conveniently function with the use of a wireless keyboard or TV remote, alleviating the need to constantly upgrade peripherals.

A majority of properties offer pay-per-view movies, most frequently with a roster of around 50 first-run movies, new releases, and on-demand television shows. Many hotels also offer a full TV package with their local cable provider so guests can keep up with regular television programs. Real-time pause/rewind/save technology is gaining popularity, with many properties choosing Motion Control products (or equivalent) to allow guests control over their own Hollywood studio movie-watching experience. While some chains have the capability to upgrade to flat-screen televisions in all guestrooms, others opt to stay with the tried-and-true and spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere. In the near future, more hotels will opt for high-definition television in guestrooms, since it provides an appreciably improved signal and picture quality. 

Despite the industry’s best efforts to capture revenue from extensive in-room entertainment offerings, it still seems that the cold hard cash flows faster outside the guestrooms in food and beverage outlets, spas, and joint packages with local attractions. Another problem that complicates things is the tendency for guests to bring along their own entertainment when they travel. Who’s going to purchase digital music, for example, when they can hijack the stereo and use their iPod instead? Hoteliers must pick and choose what to provide, and how to offer it. Properties might consider following Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental, which allows guests to enjoy their own content - whether it’s on the iPod or the laptop - with the room’s TV and sound system via an auxiliary panel on the desk and adaptors provided by the hotel. Presto: guests can listen to their own music, video-chat or view downloaded movies. The upshot is that guests get to enjoy their own content while away from home. And what traveller wouldn’t like that?

Stacey Mansfield of the Sheraton Wall Centre sums it up: “There is an expectation [in the industry] to have certain basics,” she says. “For the four- and five-star resorts, high speed Internet is one of them and in-room movies is one of them.” Conveniences other than these basics have to prove their return on investment in order to stay on the menu at many hotels. The coming years will bring more change, as trends might head toward greater interactivity between the TV and broadband technology. What if, for example, the business traveller could have a two-way video with loved ones at home? Industry experts are also considering conveniences such as customized shopping via the television. Look for more technologies that allow convergence of the guest’s and hotel’s hardware, such as stereos with iPod docking stations. All of these things are aimed at creating a homelike feel for the traveller. Surround your guests with the creature comforts of home - and maybe some delectable in-room dining - and you’ll reap the benefits.