Hotel Online  Special Report

.

The Iroquois New York Installs SIGNETURE TV-HDSM from LodgeNet
to Deliver Full Range Of HDTV Content, Including Current
Release Video-On-Demand Movies 
.
4-Star landmark property converts all guest rooms and suites to flat panel
HDTV, �WOW�ing guests and enhancing in-room entertainment revenue
.
April 5, 2006 - Located in the bustling hub of New York City�s Times Square, the Iroquois Hotel has added another lavish facet to their already luxurious offerings. Right around the corner from Bryant Park, the epicenter of New York�s famous fashion week, the European-style Iroquois has been home to celebrities and sophisticated travelers alike � pampering each patron with world-class provisions. The ground floor houses the American-French cuisine of Triomphe, one of the most critically lauded restaurants in the city. And now, as part of a recent multimillion-dollar renovation, the property has added high-end hotel entertainment to its list of superlatives that have upgraded the entire hotel to the 4-Star level and added luxury to every room � making it one of the best lodging destinations in the Big Apple.

�The Iroquois New York takes its reputation as a �showcase� property seriously,� says General Manager Paul Celnik. �When we completed our full renovation, we thought hard about how in-room entertainment could give us a distinct advantage in our market. We knew what LodgeNet was doing with their SIGNETURE TV® solution, and we knew about their HDTV innovations with LG Electronics. What clinched the decision was the opportunity to bring our guests on-demand, high-definition Hollywood movies just weeks after their theatrical premieres. The fact that we offer that HDTV experience in every room sets us apart from other properties on the street.� 

Iroquois solution maximizes guest space, enhances revenue 

The HDTV solution LodgeNet installed at The Iroquois is enabled by Pro:IdiomTM, a first-of-its-kind, digital rights management technology developed by LG Electronics to protect the integrity of premium digital content at every point in the distribution chain. LodgeNet � the first in-room entertainment provider to adopt the Pro:Idiom standard � has negotiated unprecedented licensing agreements for high-definition, theatrical VOD entertainment in the traditional hotel window (pre-DVD). For example, Celnik notes that guests staying at The Iroquois in April 2006 can enjoy true high-definition versions of recently released titles including Match Point, Last Holiday, Bubble, Derailed, Yours, Mine & Ours, Aeon Flux and more. Other high-definition options for Iroquois guests include premium satellite channels, as well as high-definition broadcast programming as available from local stations. 

Another benefit is in the �boxless� nature of the integrated LodgeNet solution. After completely restoring the hotel�s historic public spaces, The Iroquois� executives also wanted the guest rooms to be exceptional. That vision included more usable space, which meant removing the large armoires that had housed the conventional 24-inch television sets. �We upgraded all our guest rooms and suites to wall-mounted flat panel HDTVs, and immediately they had a more spacious feel � and without the extra hardware that comes with other HDTV solutions,� Celnik says. �So our rooms are cleaner looking with more free space. Guests love the flat panels, the high-definition movies and the convenience.� Celnik also claims that The Iroquois� in-room entertainment revenues have risen since the upgrade � a lift LodgeNet says is in keeping with other hotels that have migrated from the company�s tape based platform to its digital server based system. 

Established relationship, partner expertise help The Iroquois sidestep HDTV conversion challenges 

The existing relationship between The Iroquois and LodgeNet helped ease and expedite the hotel�s HDTV conversion. �We did a lot of research on high-definition systems before we made our decision,� says Celnik. �We stayed with the provider that has served us the past several years, and it was the right choice.� 

LodgeNet also provided valuable insight in selecting the HDTV displays. �Bringing HDTV into hotel rooms is very different than buying a flat panel TV for a home,� explains Celnik. �Hotel televisions require special features like volume limiters and tuners that show the hotel�s channel when a guest switches on the TV. LodgeNet realizes that the display, the content and the interactive TV platform are all part of the picture with HDTV, and they were a tremendous help pulling all the pieces together.� 

All of this has driven the success of The Iroquois� ultimate objective:  boosting guest satisfaction.  �Our guests expect the best when they stay here,� concludes Celnik. �Nearly all of them remark how impressed they are with our flat panels and the high-definition entertainment. LodgeNet has clearly contributed to helping The Iroquois stand apart.� 
 

About The Iroquois New York
The Iroquois New York with 106 rooms and nine suites, a world-class French restaurant, outstanding fitness and sauna facilities, and a cozy library stocked with leather-bound classics is independently owned and one of only three New York City properties represented in Small Luxury Hotels of the World.  The hotel�s Zagat-rated Triomphe restaurant is a favorite of Broadway theater goers and performers.  Experienced shoppers from around the world call The Iroquois home when planning outings to nearby Fifth Avenue.  Rooms at the 4-Star property are decorated in a French residential style with feather duvets dressed in 300 thread count Frette linen and Molton Brown Toiletries. For information and reservations, contact the Iroquois Hotel at 800-332-7220 or www.iroquoisny.com.
 

About LodgeNet
LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation (www.lodgenet.com) is the world�s largest provider of interactive television and broadband solutions to 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 during 2005 approximately 300 million travelers had access to LodgeNet�s interactive television systems.  In addition, LodgeNet is a leading innovator in the delivery of on-demand patient education, information and entertainment to healthcare facilities. LodgeNet is listed on NASDAQ and trades under the symbol LNET.

.

###

Contact:

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

.
 
Also See: LodgeNet, Lions Gate to Heat Up Cold Nights with First-run, High-Definition Movies in Hotel Guest Rooms / December 2005
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 / December 2005
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


To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search


Home | Welcome! | Hospitality News | Classifieds | Catalogs & Pricing | Viewpoint Forum | Ideas/Trends
Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.