The Godfrey Hotel is on the cutting edge of in-room entertainment technology. When the property opened in Boston’s Downtown Crossing neighborhood in February 2016, it was the first U.S. property to offer Stockholm-based InnSpire’s mobile and IPTV hospitality technology services, which allow guests to stream photos, videos, and music directly from their devices to the guestroom TVs. Paul Sauceda,
The Godfrey’s Director of Sales, spoke with LODGING about the technology and how it is pushing the hotel industry into the future.
Why did you choose to focus on streaming? People are carrying their entire lives in their pockets. And if someone is in the privacy of his own hotel room, then maybe he wants to view that life on a bigger screen. The technology we used also allows guests to log in to their own accounts directly through the TV or through their smart devices. The idea is to disrupt the traveler’s routine as little as possible. This is especially the case in the business segment. We don’t want business travelers to feel out of sorts when they’re on the road. So if you like to watch Game of Thrones on Monday nights, you can still do it. It’s like bringing a little piece of home. Anything we can do to connect a business traveler to what feels good and familiar, that’s what we want to do.
How much does security play into decisions made regarding in-room entertainment? Guests are very concerned about their private information. They want to know that it’s not getting into other people’s hands. Our system runs through the in-room wireless network, which means that there’s no chance that you’re accidentally going to stream to your neighbor’s room. Then, when you check out, the whole system wipes itself.
What sort of impact does this type of high-tech in-room entertainment have on the guest experience? We don’t want to put technology in the room for the sake of saying we have technology. If it’s going to complicate the guest’s life, then it’s no good. At its core, technology needs to enhance the guest experience. We’re in the people-serving business, not the technology business. Technology in hotels needs to make guests’ lives easier, more connected, and more familiar.
