Game Changer: Hotel Communication Network Introduces a New Generation of In-Room Technology

Ground breaking installations in major downtown Chicago convention hotels are huge success

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ottawa-based Hotel Communication Network (HCN) has introduced patented “game-changing” in-room technology for hotels and convention planners. Having successfully installed it in two major Chicago convention hotels, HCN is now offering the technology, industry wide, to hotel operators and convention managers.

“HCN’s features can eliminate or reduce hotel expenditures while improving service.”

“It’s the ultimate competitive weapon for the hotel and it’s a game changer because it is the first innovation that actually makes it easier for both the hotelier and the guest to get what they want,” says Steve Brinn, Vice President of Hotel Marketing for HCN and a 30-year hotel industry veteran. “HCN’s features can eliminate or reduce hotel expenditures while improving service.”

HCN’s first installations—at the Hilton Chicago (1550 rooms since August 2010) and the InterContinental Hotel Chicago (800 rooms since January 2011)—are clear successes. More than 65 percent of the guests at the Hilton have used the technology and an overwhelming majority of them (85 percent in an HCN/Hilton survey) said they would prefer to stay in a hotel room with it.

“Installing HCN is going to be a huge win; this is potentially the most important in-room innovation in the last several decades,” says Kevin Bidner, president and CEO of HCN. “Guests love it, the hotel loves it—it is a complete win-win. Once we go live with multiple hotels in the same city, this becomes a ‘city-wide communication network’ allowing the convention to directly reach attendees in their room with instant and ‘unmissable’ information.”

John Wells, general manager of the Hilton Chicago, concurs. “HCN is a breakthrough for the hotelier,” he says. “For the first time I can directly reach every guest in every room with instant personal communication, with the ability to customize Hotel service offerings, including our room service menu. Customers today want information that is current, fast and accessible. With the Navigator in all of my guest rooms, I have increased guest satisfaction and have a competitive advantage in my marketplace.”

HCN's technology gives hoteliers a competitive edge while offering them a number of business benefits. Hoteliers can expect an increase in revenue per available room (RevPar) and revenue per available customer (RevPac) through a variety of revenue streams, reductions in costs through improvements in productivity and greater guest satisfaction leading to higher occupancy rates.

In addition, HCN's business model helps hoteliers keep installation costs down. The technology incorporates several features that produce revenue streams for the hotel, helping the hotel pay for the installation of HCN’s Navigator in every room. The installations are subsidized and HCN does all of the work and shares the proceeds with the hotelier, helping to reduce and, potentially, to completely eliminate the cost of the system.

Breakthrough In-Room Technology for Guests

For guests, it's a breakthrough in-room amenity that’s accessible four ways: via HCN’s innovative Navigator, via in-room television, or via the guest’s own laptop computer or mobile device. The network gives guests direct interactive access to hotel services. Using HCN, guests can order room service, browse current in-hotel restaurant menus and make reservations, talk with hotel staff, and arrange for other hotel services. The technology goes even farther, giving guests a complete business center right in their room, as well as direct access to citywide dining, nightlife, shopping, cultural events and attractions. The guest can make a reservation or buy a ticket, right from the system.

For guests who are in town for a meeting or convention, HCN allows them to be part of a real-time online convention community developed especially for them by their convention managers.

Success in the Chicago Market Portends a Strong Adoption Rate in other Convention Cities

Armed with a strong success story in Chicago, HCN has upwardly scaled its operations to accommodate an anticipated strong demand from the hotel industry. During the past two years, HCN has built a growing number of relationships with hoteliers and convention and tourism bureaus in major convention markets. As they learn of HCN’s success in the Chicago market, these industry leaders are increasingly excited about the opportunity that this technology brings to their efforts to leapfrog their convention and tourism services into the 21^st century.

About Hotel Communication Network

Hotel Communication Network HCN is an Ottawa, Ontario, Canada based corporation with the goal of delivering mission critical guest self-service capabilities to the hotel, under the hotel’s brand and control. HCN serves hoteliers who have embraced in-room technology as a cost-effective and guest-friendly way to automate and enhance guest services while reinforcing the hotel’s brand message.

HCN provides a new high-value guest amenity that provides information, services and entertainment to every guest in every room as well as high-value meeting and conference services that offer competitive benefit to hotels in serving their customers.

Hotel Communication Network’s headquarters is located at 336 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1N 6G7 Canada. For more information about Hotel Communication Network, please contact Mr. Steve Brinn, Vice President, Hotel Marketing, by telephone at [phone], ext. 6233, or by e-mail at [e-mail]. Please also visit the corporate website at www.hcn-inc.com.

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