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Hyatt goes high-tech to woo business travellers
By Radha Basu
Nov 19, 2003
A $1-million overhaul of its technology infrastructure now provides guests with secure, reliable, high-speed network access.
Business travellers at the Grand Hyatt Singapore are in for a Christmas treat, with the hotel last week unveiling its high-tech goodies.
Top of the list: Reliable and fast wired Internet connections - the result of a $1-million overhaul of the hotel's network infrastructure. Extensive wireless connectivity and upgraded conference facilities are also on offer.
A part of the $1-million funds was provided by the Singapore Tourism Board. Business travellers constitute about 75 per cent of the hotel's total guests.
'Previously, Internet connectivity was offered via phone lines using digital subscriber line (DSL) mo-dems. Now, a new fibre-optic Gigabit Ethernet net-work backbone will be able to support transmission speeds of up to one gigabit per second,' said the hotel's information systems manager, Mr Mark Kendall.
Cisco Systems is providing the network equipment. The company's managing director for Sigapore, Mr Craig Gledhill, said the Grand Hyatt was the first hotel here to get the Cisco Powered Mobile Office, a suite of solutions offering end-to-end connectivity to the business traveller.
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| Mr Kendall demonstrates how guests can enjoy high-speed wireless Internet connection in all public areas in the hotel. |
Traditionally, broadband connections in hotels have not been as accessible or reliable as those that business users enjoy in their own offices. 'The Grand Hyatt has brought its network on par with those that guests enjoy and expect in their offices,' said Mr Gledhill.
Frequent guests such as Mr Ashley Silveira agree. The 43-year-old investment banker from Hong Kong visits Singapore at least once a month and always stays at the Hyatt.
'The new network seems to have doubled connection speeds,' he said.
Another facility that Mr Silveira is thrilled about is extensive wireless connectivity offered by the hotel's 65 wireless access points.
He was not unduly worried about security. 'I have a VPN connection, which should be secure enough,' explained Mr Silveira.
The high-speed wired and wireless access is provided by Singapore-based IT solutions firm Inter Touch.
The new network will also significantly improve the hotel's ability to hold meetings, conferences and seminars by com-panies that make heavy use of technology.
Mr Kendall said: 'Companies holding events will be able to easily create a private corporate network with optimised security, using an onsite sub-server room.' Hyatt, he added, was the only hotel in Singapore offering such a facility.
VIRTUAL BUTLER
Guest service applications are also being enhanced. In January, Grand Hyatt Singapore will implement the virtual butler service. This will allow guests to make any request - be it for extra towels or a restaurant booking - either through the television or via a laptop hooked to the Hyatt portal. The requests through the TV will be made with the help of specially modified remote controls or wireless keyboards.
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