Crowne Plaza Eliminates Staff, Guest Wi-Fi Concerns
Lodgian, Inc. is one of the largest independent owners and operators of full-service hotels in the United States. In an effort to improve guest satisfaction and stay ahead of the competition, Lodgian decided to deploy the next generation of wi-fi technology, known as 802.11n, throughout its Crowne Plaza Beach Oceanfront Resort Hotel in Melbourne, Florida, with the Ruckus Wireless ZoneFlex Smart Wireless LAN (WLAN) system.
Delivering a better wi-fie xperience
The need to replace the Crowne Plaza's older 3Com 802.11b network with a new 802.11n Smart wi-fi
network from Ruckus Wireless stemmed from the headaches hotel guests commonly experience: unstable wi-fi performance and poor coverage. The hotel's previous system, while adequate for providing convenient wi-fi access, just wasn't robust enough to support all the new wi-fi enabled devices and applications hotel guests want to use.
"Everyone can relate to some horrendous wi-fi experience at a hotel," says James MacLennan, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Lodgian. "Today, it's all about leveraging technology to improve the guest experience. Lodgian is taking the lead in deploying the next generation of wi-fi that delivers what guests are craving: fast and reliable connectivity everywhere."
To retrofit the 270-room Crowne Plaza property, Lodgian deployed 42 Ruckus ZoneFlex 7942 802.11n access points (APs) and a Ruckus ZoneDirector 1050 central management console. This configuration provides ubiquitous coverage to every corner of the hotel's premises, including two multi-story towers, restaurants, meeting space and outdoor swimming, patios and beachfront areas.
Eliminate confusion
One of the benefits of deploying the Ruckus 802.11n Smart wi-fi system was the elimination of guesswork and complexity typically experienced with other next-generation wi-fi systems. For example, all configuration deployment and software were handled by ZoneDirector, which allowed the team to focus on design and coverage requirements. Plus they had the system up and running in less than one day, while not requiring any additional category 5 cable drops. Additionally, the Ruckus ZoneFlex system has reduced Lodgian's network administration by 90 percent and guest support calls by 85 percent, thanks to its ease of use and reliable performance.
According to MacLennan, long-range wi-fi signal coverage and reliability enable Lodgian to use the network to deliver a wider range of services to guests throughout the property. "Having the killer performance, coverage and reliability opens the door to an almost endless range of services we can provide our guests."
Delivering a better wi-fie xperience
The need to replace the Crowne Plaza's older 3Com 802.11b network with a new 802.11n Smart wi-fi
network from Ruckus Wireless stemmed from the headaches hotel guests commonly experience: unstable wi-fi performance and poor coverage. The hotel's previous system, while adequate for providing convenient wi-fi access, just wasn't robust enough to support all the new wi-fi enabled devices and applications hotel guests want to use. "Everyone can relate to some horrendous wi-fi experience at a hotel," says James MacLennan, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Lodgian. "Today, it's all about leveraging technology to improve the guest experience. Lodgian is taking the lead in deploying the next generation of wi-fi that delivers what guests are craving: fast and reliable connectivity everywhere."
To retrofit the 270-room Crowne Plaza property, Lodgian deployed 42 Ruckus ZoneFlex 7942 802.11n access points (APs) and a Ruckus ZoneDirector 1050 central management console. This configuration provides ubiquitous coverage to every corner of the hotel's premises, including two multi-story towers, restaurants, meeting space and outdoor swimming, patios and beachfront areas.
Eliminate confusion
One of the benefits of deploying the Ruckus 802.11n Smart wi-fi system was the elimination of guesswork and complexity typically experienced with other next-generation wi-fi systems. For example, all configuration deployment and software were handled by ZoneDirector, which allowed the team to focus on design and coverage requirements. Plus they had the system up and running in less than one day, while not requiring any additional category 5 cable drops. Additionally, the Ruckus ZoneFlex system has reduced Lodgian's network administration by 90 percent and guest support calls by 85 percent, thanks to its ease of use and reliable performance.
According to MacLennan, long-range wi-fi signal coverage and reliability enable Lodgian to use the network to deliver a wider range of services to guests throughout the property. "Having the killer performance, coverage and reliability opens the door to an almost endless range of services we can provide our guests."