How a luxury hotel provides a 5-star TV experience

Darrin Pinkham, technology consultant and founder and president of D2 Technology Hospitality Consulting, does not shy away from large, complex projects. They’ve been his area of expertise for over 25 years. So when the owners of a new luxury hotel in West Hollywood, California came to him with a very tall order, he was up for the challenge.

The owners were in need of a premium, modern entertainment experience that would meet its extensive brand requirements, match its luxury concept, and service 60 room types with 40 different TV mounting scenarios. For this project to be successful, Pinkham knew he would need more than just the right technology solution — he would also need a reliable technology partner who would deliver on his client’s high expectations.

The right solution from the right partner

Pinkham started with identifying solution requirements, which included:

• No equipment on the roof: The hotel owners did not want to mar the view from the rooftop pool, bar and helipad. This ruled out all satellite TV content providers.
• A vast channel selection: The hotel’s luxury image and large number of international guests demanded a solution with an extensive channel lineup including premium channels.
• The ability to meet brand standards: Among the many brand requirements were that TVs must display a message welcoming guests by name, and that guests be able to cast streaming content from their personal devices to the in-room TVs.

Based on these requirements, Pinkham knew he needed a systems-integrator agnostic, terrestrial-based service that could deliver programming in Internet Protocol (IP) format, which provides a high-quality viewing experience. This type of service would support over 200 channels, and when paired with a video systems integration platform, provide the customized, interactive entertainment experience the hotel required.

Pinkham turned to Spectrum Enterprise. “I’d worked with them on projects throughout other parts of the country, and it was always a good experience,” he says. The Spectrum Enterprise Fiber Connect Plus TV for Hospitality service, delivered in IP format, checked all Pinkham’s boxes.

Skillful planning pays off

Due to the hotel’s stringent standards, additional services and equipment would be required to deliver the service to the hotel TVs. Pinkham brought all the vendors together to develop and execute a plan that would deliver the entertainment solution to the hotel’s 250 guest rooms and suites, public areas and fitness center over a four-month period.

Thanks to expert coordination, the teams were collectively able to meet the project plan deadline. “My Spectrum Enterprise account executive was great to work with, and got me in touch with the appropriate person if he wasn’t able to help me,” says Pinkham.

A luxury entertainment experience

Today, the hotel easily meets guest expectations and brand standards with an impressive 225-channel lineup including the HBO premium package. The entertainment solution also allows the hotel to provide custom content including yoga and other fitness classes.

“The [Fiber Connect Plus] IPTV service was so critical to making the project a success — it’s not just about a lot of channels. It’s also about flexibility,” says Pinkham. “It works with any system so hotels can use the solutions that work best for their properties, and deliver a TV experience that meets guest expectations.”

A partner for today and tomorrow

Because of the success of the West Hollywood hotel project, Pinkham is eager to use Spectrum Enterprise and Fiber Connect Plus again, and is pitching Fiber Connect Plus to other hotel brands. He knows that both the solution — and the partnership — will reliably deliver.

Read the case study to learn more about the project.