A Better Than at Home Experience
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They now have the opportunity to capitalise on the special products now available to the industry in order to catch up," says Philips' top hotel specialist provider.
Accom Management Guide sales manager Stewart Shimmin caught up with Mark Poldvervaart of Philips head office at the Hotel, Hospitality & Design Expo in Melbourne recently. Mark is in charge of the company's hotel activities for Asia, Africa and Australasia.
Philips is one of the leaders in providing entertainment systems to the hospitality industry. "Philips began producing hotel specific televisions more than 30 years ago and, in Australia, 20 years ago.
"What we try to do is to think about the hotel guest and what the expectations are.
"What would a guest appreciate in an entertainment product and providing the accommodation manager with the equipment that will make the guest more relaxed is the aim. Picture quality, aesthetics, vibrant images with the light coming forwards makes a guest's eyes more relaxed, for example.
"In other words, giving them a better than at home experience."
Connectivity is the key.
"The popularity of the iPod means more guests are taking their own content with them and accommodation providers have to give them the technology to do this."
Mark's role is to look after accommodation providers as well as their guests. Philips has long been a producer of in-room entertainment with the lowest energy consumption features available. "It means that hoteliers can save money from energy efficiency, from sustainability..." Mark enthuses.
"For hoteliers we have an on-site warranty, again thinking about what the industry wants. It is not like the TV a guest has at home, sets in a hotel room all have special features. Again, on the same line of thinking, we have a lease program that, incidentally, was pioneered here in Australia and now has been adopted in Europe.
"It's a fairly new concept but has been well accepted and is a long term investment..."
What has Philips up its sleeve for the future?
"Much more services than today - TV functions will become more professionalised - like ordering a pizza, finding out what the weather's like in Sydney, HVAC control, scene setting...
"Sets will have to be compatible with all system providers. In the Netherlands we did an experiment with the 21x9 TV. Movie buffs increased the video on demand take up rate by 1½ times because they get a better visual experience with first run movies."
As far as screen sizes for the future are concerned? "Is 56 inch (142cm) big enough?"
