PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips professional displays, is excited to announce its exclusive range of Chromecast built-in™ Philips MediaSuite 4K TVs, have been selected and installed inside Miami’s luxury Beach Haus Bal Harbour vacation residence, delivering ultimate all-inclusive entertainment experiences to guests, together with immediate cost efficiencies.

Located along Miami’s world famous sandy beaches, in the affluent and upscale village of Bal Harbour, the Beach Haus – spaced over three buildings – goes beyond a traditional hotel, with spacious living suites, full kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms, complete with all the amenities found at home. With guest stays ranging from a few days to a few months, the TV plays a vital role in achieving its ‘A vacation that feels like home’ promise.

As part of a major modernization project, replacing the existing, cumbersome entertainment TV setup  , which had resulted in poor guest experiences and negative feedback – Beach Haus teamed with PPDS and hotel solution specialist, Hospitality1, working side-by-side throughout the entire process – before, during and post installation – integrating more than 200 Philips MediaSuite TVs in the living room (65”) and bedroom areas (55”) across all three Beach Haus Bal Harbour complexes. 

"At Beach Haus, we do not compromise on quality or experience," commented Walter DeFortuna, owner of Beach Haus. "We want guests to enter our units and feel like they have never left home. We did a lot of research in the market to find the right solution, and that's when we discovered Philips MediaSuite from PPDS. 

“When Walter reached out about needing a new solution that was modern and intuitive for his guests, we suggested researching Philips MediaSuite,” added Dhar Patel, owner of Hospitality 1, a direct hotel supplier. The Philips MediaSuite TV is the only solution in the US market that we have found which allows guests to cast their apps without any additional equipment. So far, we have had extraordinary success with this product because it is turn-key for the owners, and we knew it would be for the Beach Haus as well.”

Philips MediaSuite TVs were the standout choice, as it’s the first dedicated hospitality TV designed exclusively to provide enhanced in-room guest experiences. It offers a seamless and natural transition, similar to how guests access all their favorite TV channels and streaming platforms at home, with no additional hardware or subscription requirements.

Cast your eyes on this!

Philips MediaSuite TVs provide a night and day contrast to the previous setup. All unsightly and unsecured third-party USB solutions plugged into the previous TVs are no longer required. Philips MediaSuite is the world’s first dedicated hospitality TV to feature Chromecast built-in™ technology and security.

Philips MediaSuite puts the guest in complete control of their entertainment experience.  Connected securely to the Beach Haus Wi-Fi, guests can now select from their favorite providers – such as Netflix®, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Spotify™ – using their own device (tablets, phones, laptops) and personal accounts, and stream in up to 4K directly onto the big screen in a couple of clicks. This is a stark contrast to the previous set up, which required a frustrating four to five-step login process, resulting in an often poor guest experience and negative feedback. The inclusion of Chromecast built-in™ also eliminates the vulnerability of external devices, which were susceptible to theft and tampering, as well as reducing maintenance and replacement costs.

Running on the ever-updating Android TV OS, Beach Haus guests also benefit from having secure access to thousands of apps via Google Play, including popular services such as local news, weather, games, YouTube, plus secure voice control capabilities via Google Voice*. Philips MediaSuites also feature Netflix-ready functionality, embedded on the TV, allowing guests to immediately pick up shows and movies exactly where they left off on their accounts.

Beach Haus was previously paying several monthly subscriptions to provide a comparable list of channels and services to guests, which are now no longer needed, saving significant monthly costs.

Julian Verlarde, General Manager at Beach Haus, commented, “The inclusion of Chromecast built-in™ solves so many obstacles faced by both ourselves and our guests. Times have changed and each guest has their own preference on how they wish to enjoy their favorite TV shows and movies. They don’t want to be restricted. With Chromecast built-in™ to Philips MediaSuite TVs, they are in complete control of their experience. This is night and day to anything we’ve seen before.”

Safe and secure remote management

The inclusion of Philips MediaSuite has resulted in instant time and cost efficiencies, a savings valued at more than $10,000 a year.

With the previous solution of USB devices designed for consumer use at home and not for a commercial property, and security of customer data of paramount importance, Beach Haus staff had to ensure a lengthy process of manually deleting all data and resetting all accounts accessed on each TV upon a guest’s departure – a process that could add up to two hours per day for staff when turning around rooms for new guests.

With Philips MediaSuite, all actions can now be managed entirely remotely, with guest data immediately deleted and disconnected upon their departure, saving more than 730 hours annually, and speeding up suite turnaround times.

In addition, all software updates and general troubleshooting of Beach Haus TVs can now be managed and controlled entirely remotely via PPDS’ single, intuitive platform – Philips CMND. TVs are also fully customized and branded, with Beach Haus now able to easily tailor each TV to the apartment and guest. This includes individual languages, marketing or messaging, Beach Haus services (bicycle rental, housekeeping, parking, beach chairs), local information (bars, restaurants, shops), or customizing screens to celebrate a specific occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary.

In keeping with Beach Haus’ and PPDS’ focus on sustainability, Philips MediaSuite TVs have also been designed for long-term use. The Android platform allows TVs to be updated with the latest features and functionalities as and when they become available. This ensures Beach Haus TVs provide a consistent performance in every room while remaining relevant longer and extending product lifetimes for increased sustainability. Updates can be scheduled and installed on all or individual displays entirely remotely, during a convenient time, such as when a room is vacant, to avoid disruptions.

Joe King, VP of hospitality, North America at PPDS said: “We understood that Beach Haus were getting very frustrated using multiple providers to get the solution they desired. With Philips MediaSuite, it’s one solution, all contained in one TV, and from a single vendor. That’s unique and something we’re very proud of.”

DeFortuna added, “The most important thing for us is that our guests love it… and they do. If a guest loves something, then we have return on investment, as people will come back repeatedly and will refer us to their friends and family. The support we received from PPDS was like nothing we had experienced before, from the initial order to a seamless installation and after-care, and we’re delighted by the results.”

More people are working and learning from home than ever before, and as such they have become dependent on tablet computers to engage with the world and be entertained. Ready to travel, these #WorkFromAnywhere individuals expect tablets to be part of their journeys. Hotel Communication Network (HCN) has re-engineered its in-room Navigator tablets to give guests more control over how they experience the hotel and engage with staff. The NEW Navigator 2.0 tablet solution – featuring real-time language translation – makes two-way communication effortless and operators can easily update and self-manage content as often as needed throughout the day.

“Navigator 2.0 is a rich, modern approach to guest engagement and revenue enhancement,” said Kevin Bidner, HCN President. “The cloud-based platform is built on the latest technology stack leapfrogging traditional guest-facing tablet solutions. Our Netflix-inspired user interface appeals to the masses, and the look of the content is compelling and draws people in to click around, discover on-premises services and amenities, and spend more money on site. This familiar navigation style makes it very easy for anyone to find the information they need in any language the hotel chooses to provide. Operators can make changes on the back end with just a few clicks and content is automatically updated to the tablets. This new buildout hits the sweet spot in affordability, functionality, and engagement.”

Navigator 2.0 has an elegant look with the tablet set on a Bluetooth pairable speaker base. The unit’s high-quality sound, USB A&C charging points, and stunning HD graphics give guests a user experience they are comfortable with and appreciate. The speaker base also serves as a voice assistant, enabling guests to request services and amenities, report problems, plus control lights, thermostat, and blinds by voice command.

All-In-One Device Cuts Costs, Drives Revenues

Navigator 2.0 is a smart way to replace in-room equipment — phone, TV remote, clock/radio — with the functionality of those devices built into the tablet. This not only improves the guest experience, but it removes clutter and save on CapEx costs. For example, hotels can replace the clunky old clock-radio with HCN's configurable night-mode and alarm clock with great visuals, wake-up alarm, sleep assist sounds like white noise and ocean, or even a bed-time story.

The platform facilitates personalized in-room messaging, dynamic alerts (reaching all guests or targetable by floor, room range, group code or wing exposure), room service ordering from local restaurants delivered direct to guests and managed by HCN (DineIN), request fulfilment, digital tipping, group business/event communication (EventLink), guest-stay survey deployment, housekeeping preference and optimization (Guest Choice), interactive city guides, early/late check out, and customizable alarm clock with guest adjustments (including brightness and minimal visuals, white noise sleep sound, and the ability to schedule wake-up calls and turn on/off night-mode).

“Navigator 2.0 will quickly become a hotel’s newest source of revenue and cost reduction,” Bidner said. “For example, DineIN has proven to increase revenues by 20% to 30% (a net gain above $10 per room per month in incremental revenue from f&b upsell opportunities) while Guest Choice reduces labor costs by 5% (between $15 - $30 per room) with each opt-out of room cleaning. Also, digitalizing the compendium saves printing costs while digital marketing earns thousands of dollars in advertising, spa, golf, tours, extended stays/late check-out fees, rebooking, and group branding and sponsorships. More importantly, the device enables brands to drive membership in their loyalty programs and increase mobile app use.”

Coming Soon . . .

Later this year, hoteliers can push Navigator 2.0 content to guests’ cell phones for property and citywide access. This functionality will enable guests to order a meal, schedule housekeeping services, or find events to take part in while out of their rooms or off premises. This will add convenience to the guest experience and cut down operating expenses. A new phone interface through the tablet will also be introduced later this year that will enable hoteliers to replace all guestroom phones.

The meetings and events industry is experiencing an unprecedented recovery, and all signs point to a busy 2023, according to the American Express 2023 Global Meetings and Events Forecast. To ensure frictionless execution of group bookings from reservations to checkout, Maestro PMS has formed an integration partnership with web-based sales and event management platform Tripleseat.

Together these technology providers are streamlining event data and pulling group room block information — including room types, rates and allocations — from the Tripleseat sales-and-catering system and pushing it into Maestro PMS. This automated process ensures that clean data is available to sales-and-catering teams in real time, eliminating headaches for meeting planners and greatly improving the stay experiences of event attendees.

“The Maestro/Tripleseat integration partnership was formed at the request of our mutual customers,” said Warren Dehan, Maestro President. “Together, we are enabling group sales and catering teams to book, manage, and plan guest room blocks and share that information with Maestro PMS for fast and accurate booking and billing. Not only does Tripleseat push the name of room block details, but it enables operators to better forecast inventory and revenue. There are a lot of moving pieces when it comes to event management. Tripleseat and Maestro PMS are streamlining communication to prevent operational disasters like overbooking from ever happening.”

Features of the Maestro PMS and Tripleseat integration include:

• Room inventory is sent from Maestro PMS to Tripleseat once a day for the next 365 days.
• Guest room block from Tripleseat to Maestro: Once the guest room block is created in Tripleseat, the room block details will go into Maestro in real time and create the group in Maestro. In addition to rates and room types, information sent to the PMS will include the following: block release date, booking name, room block name, account and contact, and booking notes.
• Guest room block pickup from Maestro to Tripleseat: When a room is picked up in Maestro, it will update the pickup count in Tripleseat and on the hotel, resort, or conference center’s guest portal. Occupancy will be reflected in pickup counts. Pickup updates occur in real time.

“Hotel management is a complex business. We are thrilled to partner with Maestro PMS, streamlining group booking and events management and reduce the room for error by teams working in silos,” said Jonathan Morse, CEO of Tripleseat. “Our mutual clients requested this integration, and we are always happy to help make their job easier.”

As hotel operators work towards closing the labor gap, integration partnerships like Maestro PMS and Tripleseat are enabling operators to work smarter, not harder. This joint solution not only ensures that no event details or revenues slip through the cracks, but it greatly improves the event experience for planners and attendees alike. The smoother the stay, the more likely group business will return.

“We are delighted to be working with Tripleseat to lessen the stress placed on today’s operators and planners,” Dehan said. “Together we are working towards increasing sales and positive online reviews without increasing a hotel’s workload. The Global Meetings and Events Forecast shows ‘in-person meetings are roaring back in 2023 and have already surpassed 2019 levels’ across North America. While attendees want to see each other in person after suffering from virtual fatigue, the costs to support these guests continue to rise due to higher labor, food, and other fixed costs, not to mention the impact of inflation. We as hotel technologists must continue to work together to create ways to offset workload for staff, streamline operations, and ultimately exceed the expectations of guests.”

Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, announced a successful WiFi network upgrade alongside the implementation of BeyondTV with GuestCast streaming services at Hourglass Hotel. A property that combines modern-day elegance and convenience into a resort style setting, Hourglass Hotel’s recent investment with HIS will ensure that total guest satisfaction and relaxation extends to both in-room entertainment and the quality of online connectivity.

As part of a renovation featuring a modern refreshment of its lobby, open courtyard, swimming pool, cabanas and guestroom/suite areas, Hourglass Hotel leadership also placed a priority on providing its guests with exceptional internet service quality and access to personalized in-room entertainment. By partnering with HIS, the upscale boutique property was notably able to address its WiFi service needs while working around other renovation projects in order to minimize disruptions or delays. With HIS technicians performing any necessary hardware installations as blocks of rooms become available following renovation, Hourglass Hotel was nonetheless able to swiftly deploy a WiFi network upgrade ensuring fast speeds and connection reliability. This was achieved thanks to HIS utilizing the latest in network hardware technology in addition to leveraging its industry-specific expertise. Examples include the strategic placement of advanced Ruckus access points, guaranteeing a strong and uninterrupted WiFi signal while eliminating any WiFi coverage dead zones that can often result in guest frustration.

“Both internet access and streamed entertainment rank high on the list of guest priorities, so we likewise made it a priority to adopt the latest capabilities and ensure that when guests stay with us, they experience something that is both exceptional and memorable,” said Sonny Gulati, CFO, at Hourglass Hotel. “From the start, HIS has been very accommodating in serving our needs while our building underwent renovation and have continued to make themselves readily available should an issue suddenly arise. Our WiFi service now consistently operates at 200Mbps, which is sufficient to cater to bandwidth-intensive activities such as online streaming and ensure that guest experiences are always seamless. With casting services available in each guestroom, guests staying at our property can also look forward to effortlessly accessing the content they enjoy at home while on the road.”

Using BeyondTV enabled with GuestCast, Hourglass Hotel guests can personalize their in-room entertainment experience thanks to the platform’s compatibility with thousands of mobile-based streaming apps. This includes instant access to all of the leading streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, HBO Max and more. The solution also importantly addresses guest concerns over security and privacy by automatically erasing all usage data when a guest checks out.  

INTELITY®, a guest experience and staff management platform for the hospitality industry, and the Westlake Village Inn have announced the continuation of their strong partnership with the iconic Southern California property’s investment in new smart-room tablets featuring the INTELITY platform. 

Nestled in the Conejo Valley halfway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, California, the established Westlake Village Inn is a lush Mediterranean-style resort featuring 156 well-appointed, deluxe accommodations, as well as three award-winning restaurants, a newly remodeled luxury spa, an adjacent 18-hole golf course and driving range, and an on-site winery.

“We are excited to launch the newest smart-room tablets at the Inn as we are looking forward to making our guests feel more at home with the tablet's customized features,” said Maria Solorzano, Director of Sales, Marketing & PR at the Westlake Village Inn. “The INTELITY platform has enhanced our guest experience by streamlining the communication between the guest and our staff. Any request on the smart-room tablet will continue to be seamlessly fulfilled, continuing to improve the guest journey. The most exciting feature is that our international guests no longer have a language barrier challenge as the latest version of the platform on the new tablets support other languages, reducing the burden on the client while enhancing their onsite experience.”

Powered by the INTELITY platform, the new smart-room tablets will continue to allow guests to explore the property’s many offerings. The INTELITY platform also creates a seamless guest experience, letting guests connect with the property and its staff, while the guest is relaxing in their room. Guests can continue to request additional items and services, order in-room dining, book spa appointments, and review the latest hotel compendiums all with a few taps on the screen. The tablets, which feature nearly twice the processing power and vibrant, larger screens, are supported by INTELITY’s GEMS®, Guest Experience Management System, and the platform backend, streamlining staff’s day-to-day operations, allowing them to field maintenance requests, update digital compendiums and menus, automate and track digital dining requests, and much more.

“The Westlake Village Inn has been a key member of the INTELITY family for many years,” said Robert Stevenson, INTELITY CEO. “We are excited to deploy this latest integration of the INTELITY platform on new high-end devices to allow them to take their luxury accommodations one step further.”

Tripleseat, a web-based sales and event management solution for restaurants, hotels, and unique venues, is proud to announce the launch of TripleseatDirect Reservations. With TripleseatDirect Reservations, consumers can now easily request a table for 10 people or book a party for hundreds directly with any restaurant enabled with TripleseatDirect.

TripleseatDirect provides a frictionless event booking process, allowing consumers to quickly and easily view menus and availability in real time and book directly with the restaurant. With TripleseatDirect Reservations, consumers no longer have to go through third-party event planning websites or rely on phone calls and emails to make a large party reservation.

"We're thrilled to introduce TripleseatDirect Reservations to the market," said Jonathan Morse, CEO and Founder of Tripleseat. "We've seen a growing need for a platform that allows consumers to easily book events and make large party reservations directly with restaurants. With TripleseatDirect Reservations, we're simplifying the event booking process for both consumers and restaurants."

TripleseatDirect also benefits restaurant owners and operators by streamlining the reservation process, allowing them to manage their event and off-premise catering bookings and reservations more efficiently. With TripleseatDirect, restaurants can easily manage availability, pricing, and menus and have more control over their event business.

TripleseatDirect Reservations is now available to all restaurants that use Tripleseat as their event management solution. To learn more about TripleseatDirect Reservations, please visit tripleseat.com/products/tsdirect.