THE COLONNADE HOTEL iBAHN innovations make the most of upscale renovations.
from around the world. In 2008, this celebrated Boston Back Bay landmark unveiled dramatic renovations—including unprecedented digital entertainment and information services. See how iBAHN is helping make The Colonnade Hotel the leading generation of upscale hotels and the first U.S. hotel to employ the iBAHN ETVi solution.
Part of a distinguished hospitality lineage, The Colonnade Hotel is owned by third-generation hotelier Ronald Druker, whose father built the venerable building more than 30 years ago. And it’s reputation continues to stand as high as its famed rooftop deck—and for good reason. The Colonnade Hotel insists on leading-edge amenities in every area of service, including guest entertainment.
media system itself to be lacking. While he and his team had a vision to provide guests with an extraordinary digital experience—HDTV, premium movies, and high-speed Internet—their current technology provider was simply not able to deliver. Thus began the search for a new entertainment services solution. The expectations were high. Hotel management had set clear goals for their property improvements: complete digital offerings from a single vendor, a provider that would assist with the hotel’s green initiatives, and uncompromising partner attention. After a rigorous year-long search, the hotel found what it was looking for in iBAHN.
“Anytime you’re dealing with technology, there are going to be bugs,” says Colella. “I expected some hiccups as part of the process. What I didn’t expect was the flexibility iBAHN had to deal with them.” iBAHN held regular meetings with hotel management to ensure expectations would be met. The system was custom configured to The Colonnade Hotel’s specifications; iBAHN also made suggestions in response to the property’s green initiatives. “Anytime we had an issue,” comments Colella, “iBAHN was immediately there to rectify it. We had people on site when we needed them, and now a phone call typically takes care of any questions we have.”
HIGH-DEFINITION GOALS
A RELATIONSHIP THAT STARTED
A SINGULAR SOLUTION FROM A
FOR SUCCESS
WITH SERVICE
SINGLE VENDOR
As part of a $20+ million renovation, The Colonnade Hotel hoped to make major improvements to its in-room media systems. TVs were exchanged for large flat panel models. Components were upgraded. But General Manager David Colella found the hotel
When it came to customer service, The Colonnade Hotel quickly recognized the iBAHN difference. Although system installation was an inherent challenge due to the hotel’s physical structure, the implementation team addressed every concern.
Combining all of their digital guest services under one provider seemed like a natural request to The Colonnade Hotel. But iBAHN was the only vendor offering topof-the-line high-speed Internet access (HSIA) and Internet protocol television (IPTV) as a package.
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For three generations, The Colonnade Hotel has attracted travelers
THE COLONNADE HOTEL
ONE SYSTEM
“We had HSIA before our renovations,” says Colella, “because it’s an essential service for guests.” But the HSIA service today in the hotel is beyond commodity status. As the only hospitality provider to own its own wireless network, iBAHN brings the highest levels of security, speed and reliability to The Colonnade Hotel. With a first-time unassisted connection rate of 99.7%, calls for support are practically non-existent, so guests never have to think about the service. They are, however, thinking—and talking—about the hotel’s new in-room entertainment. ETVi, the interactive entertainment and information system from iBAHN, brings the most HD content available to guests rooms. Not only is the superior content fitting for the new flat panel upgrades, there are more HD channels and movies to choose from than any other provider. But it’s the interactivity that has completely changed the way guests (and hotel management) look at TV.
With ETVi, The Colonnade Hotel makes a connection with its guests like never before. A customized welcome screen sends individualized greetings and introduces guests to the hotel property and amenities. Even better, the interactive menu lets guests explore, reserve, and purchase hotel services right on screen. “We’ve never been able to serve guests quite so directly,” says Colella. Instead of picking up the phone, travelers can reserve a table at Brasserie JO downstairs, order room service, or review their paperless bill—all with just a few clicks. What’s more, all hotel information is available through the system menu, in 25+ languages. As a replacement to ubiquitous, expensive hotel binders, ETVi helps The Colonnade Hotel reduce its costs of printing and updating—helping to make a tremendous impact on its environmental initiatives.
their in-room entertainment before,” he smiles. “Now I receive card after card expressing how pleased they were. People actually can’t wait to watch another movie at our hotel!” Fortunately, these responses don’t stop at the front desk. Fodor’s Boston 2008 makes mention of The Colonnade Hotel’s “guestfriendly touches” of “fab” technology. Business travelers who enjoy the hotel tend to be very loyal—and their referrals are especially powerful. All which combine to achieve The Colonnade Hotel’s goal: to be a leading-generation hotel for a new generation of travelers.
A NEW GENERATION OF GUESTS
With its history of sophisticated luxury, The Colonnade Hotel is no stranger to delighted travelers. Even so, Colella was surprised by the impression the hotel’s iBAHN upgrades made on guests. “I’ve never had people comment about LEARN MORE ABOUT IBAHN TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AT WWW.IBAHN.COM OR CALL 1-800-848-8168 TODAY
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ENTERTAINMENT AND REVENUE IN