Hotel Online  Special Report

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Pinehurst Resort Sporting World-Class Digital TV

Leading Digital Services Provider Tapped To Provide Wide Range of In-Room Content
And Services For Discriminating Guests At Premier North Carolina Golf Resort

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December 6, 2005 - When it comes to guest satisfaction, even championship-caliber golf resorts can�t rest on their laurels. Clients may welcome challenges on the course, but they expect easy going once they�re off the links and in their rooms. 
 
Located in the heart of North Carolina, Pinehurst Resort offers all the outdoor appeal a guest could want; but the company also understands the importance of the in-room television to the total guest experience. So in May 2005 � just before serving as the site of the 2005 U.S. Open � Pinehurst upgraded its three historic hotels to a SIGNETURE TV® solution from LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation. 

Quality Over Quantity With Targeted Free-To-Guest Programming 

Pinehurst wanted a free-to-guest lineup that matched its guests� interests and its own business goals. �We are a golf resort, first and foremost,� says Scott Brewton, executive vice president of operations and general manager. "The quality of the new programming has a far better reach and can only increase our guests' enjoyment when they're not on the course." 

Brewton explains that Pinehurst�s new channel options of local and national news, weather and sports (including The Golf Channel) � plus general interest and children�s programming � accommodate all of the preferences of Pinehurst�s clientele and especially sports enthusiasts. �LodgeNet worked with us to put together a lineup that gives our guests what they want and expect," he says.

On-Demand Offerings Make The Entertainment Package Complete


Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort
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Carolina Hotel Guest Room
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For guests desiring entertainment beyond the free-to-guest lineup, all three Pinehurst Resort accommodations venues offer a rich mix of on-demand movies, music, videogames, on-demand TV programming and special interest videos. Most of these choices are enhanced with LodgeNet�s PowerPlaySM media playback controls, allowing viewers to pace their entertainment experience by skipping forward or back, pausing, or saving their place to return to later.

�We have seen a lift in incremental revenues by offering more on-demand options,� Brewton says. �But the real benefit is keeping our guests happy with state-of-the-art programming and convenience. The expanded choices and convenient controls do a lot to support our reputation as a premier destination for golfers as well as their spouses and children.�

Channels Drive Marketing Opportunities; Guest Services Add Personal Touch

In addition to the free and on-demand entertainment, SIGNETURE TV provides Pinehurst with dedicated channels to support its branding and marketing programs. These include:

  • A Welcome Channel that displays when the guest turns on the TV
  • Two video channels designed to capture the attention of channel-surfers � one featuring a segment on the history of Pinehurst, and the other to show marketing videos and presentations now in development
  • Two channels displaying text-based information (such as meeting schedules and promotions) that hotel management staff can create, edit, schedule and update in real time 
SIGNETURE TV also helps Pinehurst serve their guests at a critical touchpoint with an Account Review and Checkout service. �By allowing guests to review and approve their charges from the room, we can help them stay on schedule and keep things moving at the front desk,� says Brewton. �That convenience has become especially popular with the sophisticated, tech-smart travelers who are a fast-growing part of our customer base.�

About Pinehurst Resort

Built in 1895, Pinehurst Resort is one of more than 150 clubs and resorts worldwide owned and operated by Dallas-based ClubCorp. Pinehurst boasts eight championship golf courses, including the world-renowned Pinehurst No. 2, site of the 2005 U.S. Open Championship. The readers of Travel + Leisure Golf ranked Pinehurst Resort as the �Best U.S. Golf Resort� in the magazine�s 2005 World's Best Golf Resorts reader survey.

About LodgeNet

LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation (www.lodgenet.com) is the world�s largest provider of interactive television and broadband solutions to hotels, including resort and casino hotels, throughout the United States and Canada as well as select international markets. These services include on-demand movies, music and music videos, on-demand videogames, Internet on television, and television on-demand programming, as well as high-speed Internet access, all designed to serve the needs of the lodging industry and the traveling public. LodgeNet provides service to more than one million interactive guest pay rooms and serves more than 6,000 hotel properties worldwide. LodgeNet estimates that approximately 275 million travelers annually have access to LodgeNet�s interactive television systems. LodgeNet is listed on NASDAQ and trades under the symbol LNET.

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Contact:

Janeen Driscoll
Communications Manager
Pinehurst Resort
P.O. Box 4000
Village of Pinehurst, NC 28374
Phone:  (910) 235-8710
[email protected]

LodgeNet
Ann Parker
Director of Corporate Communications
LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation
605-988-1000
[email protected]

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Also See: Lodgenet, Paramount Pictures Sign Landmark Agreement for High-Definition Movies On-Demand / October 2005
New Lodgenet Agreements to Bring Digitally Delivered Widescreen Movies Plus High-Definition Video-On-Demand and Satellite Programming Through SIGNETURE HDTV SM Systems / June 2005
SIGNETURE HDTVSM Systems 'Wow'ing Guests in Chicago and LA / June 2005
Lodgenet LG Electronics to Deliver Industry's Most Complete HDTV Solution for Hotel Guest Rooms / May 2005
Lodgenet, HBO Sign Industry-First Agreement for HBO HD; Only Hotels With SIGNETURE HDTV Systems Will Offer a High-Definition Television Experience for Blockbuster Movies and Original Features from HBO HD / May 2005
Industry-First Subscription Sports Programming Comes To Guest Room TVs; NBA League Pass And Other Daily Subscription Packages Expected To Increase Hoteliers� RevPAR And Traveler Satisfaction / March 2005
Savvy Hoteliers Can Leverage Guest In-Room Viewing Trends To Drive Revenues, Repeat Business / January 2005
Hotel del Coronado Taps LodgeNet for Single Source Solution / December 2004
HDTV In The Guest Room: How To Enter The New World Of Digital TV With Confidence / September 2004
Radisson Encore Hotel Serves Up Customized In-room Service: Laptop, TV Internet for Corporate Travelers, TV Wedding Highlights for Leisure Guests / August 2004
LG Electronics And LodgeNet Develop First HDTV Satellite Programming Solution For Hotels / June 2004
Lodgenet Announces Major Milestones; More Than One Million Rooms Served Overall, Nearly Half Of Company's Interactive Room Base Now Digital, On-Screen Controls Enhancing Entertainment In 435,000 Guest Rooms, Digital Control Rights Secured From All Major Studios / June 2004
Doubletree Novi Doubles In-Room Entertainment Revenue, Enhances Guest Service With Interactive TV Upgrade / May 2004
IT Security: Pebble Beach Company Powers Toward a Perfect 10; Parent Company Of Three-Time Conde Naste Winner Uses Advanced Security Tools For High-Speed Internet Access / April 2004


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