Heap said Summit�s 100-room Salt Lake City Sheraton Airport Hotel, which deployed the StayOnline solution three months ago, has had quite the opposite experience that many in lodging have had regarding their fledgling high-speed access upgrade initiatives.

�Many of our direct competitors were hit hard by the last wave of wired high-speed access suppliers � most of whom failed to deliver on promised usage rates, revenues and ever-critical customer support,� Heap said.  �StayOnline, which wisely chose not to follow the rest of the herd, today has the people, technology and proven model to finally give high-speed a good name � and Return On Investment.�

New model

Heap said several wired high-speed access suppliers had approached Summit with wired technologies that cost far too much, required significant inventory downtime and were founded on revenue-sharing business models that were questionable at best due largely to wired systems� historically low �take rates� and high capital investment costs.

Robert King, StayOnline Chairman & CEO, concurred that the StayOnline business model is unique to the industry.  The former President & CEO of the Georgia Hospitality Travel Association credited successes such as the Salt Lake City Sheraton�s double-digit high-speed access take rates to StayOnline�s unwavering focus on what matters most: added value and convenience to the traveler; steady significant new revenues to the hotel; and minimal risk and optimal reward for all involved.

�Somehow, amidst the high-tech revolution, many hotels and high-speed access suppliers lost site of the fact that we are in the hospitality business,� King said.  �Far too many suppliers offered pie-in-the-sky revenue projections, and when the sky fell, hotels, owners, employees and guests alike suffered.

�The old wired high-speed access model required double-digit take rates just to break even because it typically cost hotels $750 to $2,500 to wire a single room and $20,000 to $65,000 for DSL equipment � while our wireless StayOnline solution usually costs 10 to 20 percent as much and gives guests the freedom to roam.  Just as important, our usage rates on average are 5 to 10 times that of these hotels that spent tens, or even hundreds of thousands of more dollars for more-limited hard-wired access.�

Summit�s Heap said the people behind the StayOnline technology and the commitment they have to providing unparalleled customer support, staff training, and sales and marketing tools is another core reason why StayOnline is fast blazing a trail that others already are trying to follow.

�You can have the best technology in the world at the most-competitive price, but without the people to back it up, you have nothing but hard assets that can become liabilities,� Heap said.  �It might sound cliché, but customer service � prompt, professional and knowledgeable support consistently delivered to both guests and staff � is absolutely required to successfully market a high-tech amenity such as this.  Unfortunately, this type of customer support is as hard to come by nowadays as financing is for many wired high-speed access suppliers still grasping tightly onto yesterday�s failed business model.

�The folks at StayOnline know their technology well and they know the hotel business inside and out,� he said.   �Just as important, help is always there � whether we need troubleshooting assistance, staff or guest training, or sales and marketing support for our business and leisure travelers.�

Money maker

Tracy Randall, GM of the Salt Lake City Sheraton, said StayOnline�s state-of-the-art wireless high-speed system already has helped the property win two major business meetings and garner increased occupancies, revenues and satisfaction scores from travelers.

�We�re one of just a few hotels in Salt Lake City with high-speed access today � and I don�t know of any other that has both wireless technologies that give guests the capability to log onto corporate networks and surf the Internet and e-mail from virtually anywhere on site, as well as in-room PC�s,� Randall said.  �The fact that we offer StayOnline in-room PC�s in 30 rooms is another level of added convenience that really separates us from the competition.

�Small-footprint in-room PC�s are a huge hit with families, particularly those traveling with children because the systems also feature many of today�s most-popular games � but the market in no way stops there,� she said.  �Some of our business travelers also request these rooms and pay more for access to our user-friendly in-room PC�s.  Such an offering not only lightens road warriors� load, but it also eliminates an increasingly time-consuming security checkpoint at airports.�

Randall said employees are as excited about the Salt Lake City Sheraton�s new wireless high-speed access capabilities and in-room PC�s as are travelers.

�Our sales staff loves the fact that we now have something to offer business and leisure travelers that is proven to boost revenues, repeat business and referrals in this heightened competitive climate,� Randall said.  �Just as important as StayOnline�s leading-edge technology and solid new business model is the assistance we receive to best support users and fully leverage this unique marketing tool.

�StayOnline has provided us with all of the on-site training and collateral we need to support and sell this hot new technology amenity � including a live sample of our in-room PC�s at the front desk touting all of the benefits of wireless high-speed access,� she said.  �The StayOnline team already has traveled to Salt Lake City twice to conduct group and individual training, and we always know that anyone from the CEO, to the CTO, to customer support is just a phone call or e-mail away 24X7.�

Based in Atlanta, StayOnline  provides lodging�s popular StayOnline wireless high-speed Internet access/in-room PC solution.  With more than 250 installation agreements in place, StayOnline boasts an impressive customer base, including properties in the Sheraton, Homewood Suites, Jameson Inns, Embassy Suites and Hilton lodging brands.