The Davidson Hotel Company, owner/operator of the hotel, has inked a deal to have wireless, high-speed Internet access installed throughout the building. StayOnline of Atlanta, the nation’s premier provider of 100% wireless high-speed Internet access solutions to the hospitality industry, is handling the install. 

“This is a ‘must-have’ service in the Chicago area, and wireless Internet access provides a more flexible solution for our customers,” says Ron Hardin, Director of Technology for Davidson.  “StayOnline’s system can also be implemented faster and with fewer hassles than wired alternatives.  Their wireless network covers the entire property, and they augment that with a redundant Cat5 cable network in our meeting rooms, so we can handle virtually any customer requirement.”

Through StayOnline’s state-of-the-art system, guests at the hotel will be able to ramp on to the information superhighway at blazing speeds, while avoiding busy signals, lost connections and interminable delays often associated with dial-up connections. StayOnline will wirelessly enable all of the Renaissance North Shore’s 386 guest rooms, three suites, 22,000 square feet of meeting space and restaurants, as well as common areas including the lobby. The Renaissance North Shore is StayOnline’s 99th hotel installation, and puts the service in nearly 20,000 hotel rooms in the United States and Canada.  

“We appreciate the confidence that the Davidson Hotel Company continues to show in us,” said Antonio DiMilia, President of StayOnline, Inc. “No other company is installing wireless Internet access in hotels as fast as we are. That’s because our service and our components are proven and dependable.    StayOnline follows the belief that hotel technology amenities must benefit everyone, from meeting planners to hotel staff to the most important customer, their guests.” 

For Davidson, utilizing wireless technology also provides the hotel with considerable cost savings. 

“We have installed StayOnline’s wireless high speed Internet access in 4 of our hotels, “ said Hardin.  “We keep coming back to StayOnline for this service because they are efficient and cost effective, in every case.  The quotes we received from other vendors for a wired system were 2-3 times more expensive than StayOnline’s solution,” states Hardin.  “And StayOnline has a lower total cost of ownership over three years than comparable wireless systems.”

Using state-of-the-art, proprietary technologies, StayOnline provides complete, customized solutions for its hotel clients -- from its custom-engineered wireless network design to the latest high-sensitivity plug-and-play wireless antennas.  StayOnline uses 802.11b technology, known as WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), to provide broadband access.  Implementation of wireless access also differs from traditional wired connections. A StayOnline system typically has a very quick install in comparison to traditional wired solutions, and provides easy reconfiguration flexibility as needs change and technology advances. StayOnline’s cutting-edge secure technology is fully supported by comprehensive, informative training programs. The company offers on-going professional support to ensure that the benefits of the solution are immediately realized and can be effectively marketed to competitive advantage to increase transient and corporate meeting business at customer hotels.

The Renaissance Chicago North Shore is located in Northbrook, near many of the area’s Fortune 500 headquarters and within a mile of the Chicago Botanic Gardens and several golf courses.

About Davidson Hotel Company
Davidson Hotel Company is based in Memphis, Tennessee, and currently operates 22 hotels across the United States, totaling more than 5600 rooms.  Davidson specializes in full-service, mid-size business hotels and resorts and offers a full range of hotel development and management services.  In addition to the Renaissance Chicago North Shore, its award-winning properties include affiliations with such brands as Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Sheraton, and Holiday Inns.  For additional information on Davidson Hotel Company or any of its hotels, please visit http://www.davidsonhotels.com, or contact Kathy Hood, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at khood@davidsonhotels.com. 

About StayOnline
Based in Atlanta, StayOnline provides state-of-the art-turnkey wireless high-speed Internet access/in-room PC solutions for the lodging industry.  StayOnline is the exclusive brand standard for all Hawthorn Suites hotels in North America as well as the exclusive AFM Preferred Alliance wireless high-speed Internet partner for the ASTON®, Best Inns®, Howard Johnson®, Knights Inn®, Park Plaza®, Park Inn®, Ramada®, Villager® Lodge and La Quinta® Inns brands throughout Canada.  In addition, StayOnline boasts an impressive customer base, including properties in the Sheraton, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites, Hilton and Crowne Plaza Lodging brands.  Stay Online’s StaySecure Web-enabled video surveillance solution allows properties to piggyback on the company’s wireless network for cost-effective real-time and archived security videos.  For additional information on StayOnLine and its lodging solutions, please visit www.stayonline.net.