Hotel Communication Network - Frequently Asked Questions


Question: What is The Hotel Communication Network?

Answer: The Hotel Communication Network is an information network spanning multiple hotels in a city, connecting the travel community to everything they need, and connecting the hotel, the city and the convention center directly to the hotel guests, when in their room or on the go. The system uses the combination of a variety of technology platforms to connect to the traveler, including its innovative "Navigator" device, as well as the in-room television, and even the guest's own mobile or laptop device.

Question: Please describe HCN's technology.

Answer: The showpiece of the network is the "HCN Navigator™", the breakthrough technology developed by HCN. Installed in the guest hotel room, the unit combines a 22-inch touch screen with keyboard, mouse and an integrated telephone. It has built in web browsers, speaker-telephony capabilities and a suite of business applications, all available at the fingertips of every hotel guest.

The Navigator screens are active in the rooms for 16 hours per day, creating in-room digital signage for use by the hotel and/or meeting/convention managers who can use the system to contact the guests directly with up to the minute messaging or to promote their venue or event. This very same network is also provided over the television, and through a web based portal that the user can access through their own laptop or mobile device, allowing the network to be accessed in rooms where HCN's hardware is not installed, and making it easy for any guest to connect to the network from wherever they are.

Question: Why is Hotel Communication Network a technology whose time has come?

Answer: We now live in an Internet and technology-centric world, with nearly 100% adoption of self-serve computing in one form or another. The Navigator seamlessly brings now established trend to the hotel room. It's an absolutely natural addition to the hotel's technology. HCN brings guests' day-to-day interactive universe into the hotel room with an easy to use and fun technology implementation.

Question: Why is Hotel Communication Network important?

Answer: HCN's new technology is a win-win-win for all involved. It's a powerful service upgrade and brand builder for hoteliers, a super new value for the guest, and a revolutionary community-building and information update network for convention and meeting planners.

Question: How does Hotel Communication Network benefit the hotel?

Answer: Hoteliers can expect an increase in RevPar and RevPac through a variety of revenue streams, reductions in costs through improvements in productivity and greater guest satisfaction leading to higher occupancy rates.

HCN helps the hotel achieve a number of business goals while helping them in problem-solving situations. From a marketing perspective, the Navigator gives the hotel the capability of displaying its brand message and services directly on a second screen 16 hours a day-even when the guest is watching TV, the Navigator screen will continue to display hotel branding messages and key information that helps the guest better enjoy the hotel stay. They'll view updated restaurant menus, daily food specials, special spa or salon deals, invitations to upcoming hotel events-and all messages can be targeted toward specific customer segments or groups. The HCN/Hilton survey showed that 75 percent of the hotel guests spent time exploring the hotel services and facilities section, using their touch screen.

As a problem-solver, the Navigator has a built-in emergency messaging system which can be used during critical moments, relieving switchboard overload and relieving distress for the guest.

Other Navigator features can eliminate or reduce hotel expenditures while improving services. For example, the Navigator can eliminate the need for door tags since guests can, on the touch screen, inform the hotel of their need for services or for privacy. Room service orders can be 'upsold' with wine or dessert, and delivery schedules can be better planned and organized so that guests receive their meals on time. Since room and hotel information can be updated at any time and displayed on the Navigator, there is less need for printed guest services and room services  books in the rooms, which are costly to produce, difficult to update and hard to justify in the era of "green" hotel operations.

Question: How is Hotel Communication Network an improvement over current in-room hotel technology?

Answer: The Navigator allows hotels to overcome the biggest obstacle they face when attempting to use their existing technology infrastructure (television) to provide in-room interactive information services: The public's technology usage patterns simply don't gel with the TV-based approach.

In reality, guests use their in-room TVs for entertainment and news, but not for interactive information retrieval and to get things done. They just don't want to use a TV screen that's eight feet away while they sit on their bed and try to function with a remote control or a wireless keyboard. The simple truth is that people use their computer or mobile phone for that and that's why many people travel with their laptops. That's why TV-based systems have never caught on.

What HCN has done is bring guests' day-to-day interactive lifestyle-which involves a combination of computers, mobile devices and now, tablets-into the hotel room with an easy-to use-technology with which guests are very comfortable. The guests don't have to learn a whole new way of doing things to use the Navigator, and in many cases, it means that they don't have to lug their laptop computer to the hotel to stay organized and productive while on the road.

Question: Is it expensive to introduce HCN into a hotel?

Answer: HCN's business model is designed to enable hotels to inexpensively adopt the network using innovative revenue streams to help the hotel pay for the installation of the Navigator in every room. To install the network, HCN does all the work, and shares the proceeds with the hotelier, helping to reduce or, potentially, completely eliminate the cost of the system.

HCN has developed a number of value-added services that provide hotels with a revenue stream, making it economically feasible to offer free or heavily subsidized installation to the hotels. This greatly lowers a significant barrier to entry for the hotels and makes it easier for them to adopt the technology.

HCN understands that the hotel industry has not always traveled a smooth road when adopting new technology. That's why HCN technology was in the research and development stage for more than six years. We knew we needed to get it right the first time.

HCN has patented (patent pending) a process for using its network to allow conventions to communicate to their attendees directly in the room. This will create significant revenues while providing a very high value to the meeting or convention manager.

Question: What is the HCN experience like for the hotel guest?

Answer: Guests who have the Navigator in their rooms can take advantage of many features and capabilities while feeling more welcomed than ever by their hotel. When the guest first enters the room, the Navigator screen is on (the devices stay online for 16 hours a day), displaying a personalized welcome message-text, audio or video-from the hotel, while playing soothing music. They're informed if they have messages waiting or if they need to contact a hotel staff person for any reason. They can then select from a variety of news and entertainment options on the Navigator and perhaps play their favorite genre of music.

Once seated in front of the Navigator screen, guests have easy-to-use touch screen guidance on services and amenities available to them at the hotel: restaurants, vending, fitness center, business center, swimming, spa, room service and others. If they want to speak directly to a live person, they can use the touch screen to call the appropriate hotel department or staff person, including the concierge, room service, bell captain and housekeeping. They can browse the menus of the hotel restaurants and order room service by simply filling out a touch screen order form, complete with desired time of delivery.

If guests need to get work done, they can launch built-in productivity applications (word processing, spreadsheet and presentation) and, if they need hard copy, they can direct the Navigator to print documents in the lobby at a Navigator print station. If they want to check their email they can do it through the web browser, the same way a laptop user would.
The Navigator also provides guests with a fully-catalogued, easy-to-use touch screen directory of what's available to them in their local area, all provided by the local convention and tourism bureau: restaurants, nightclubs, sports and cultural events, museums and galleries, theater and movies, shopping, tours and so on. But the Navigator goes even further: guests can actually purchase tickets, make restaurant reservations, purchase in-room entertainment, book a sightseeing tour, rent a car, and even print out their return trip airline boarding passes, all with the touch screen.

Question: What special features are available to convention attendees?

Answer: If they're in town to attend a meeting or convention, the guests may also find information from the online community that the convention planners have set up for their attendees. They can even have real-time contact with their fellow attendees who are staying in another Navigator-equipped room, in their own hotel, or across the city.

The online community, which is accessible through the Navigator and a special custom mobile Navigator App for smart phones and laptop computers, gives attendees access to a whole host of information that will help make their experience pleasant, productive and engaging, while solving some typically difficult logistical problems. Prior to the convention, planners may wish to set up chat rooms on the network for their attendees, who can use this new and exciting means to network with and find other attendees with similar interests.

For example, the Navigator and Navigator App screens can display a complete map of the hotel and other facilities being used by the convention, with easy to read tags and navigation routes, so that attendees can readily find the locations of meetings, breakout sessions, exhibitions and other convention activities. Convention agendas, documents, transportation services and other pertinent data can be accessible at the touch of the screen. Online chat rooms enable attendees to discuss convention topics or participate in discussion forums, all from the convenience of their hotel room or on their mobile phone.

Question: What has the response been from hotel guests who have used the Navigator?

Answer: HCN and Hilton surveyed guests who had the Navigator in their rooms. The response showed that more than 65 percent of the guests actually used the Navigator-a testament to its ease of use and ready-familiarity. Very significantly, 85 percent of those guests said that, in the future, they would prefer a hotel room with a Navigator.

Question: How does HCN help hotels improve their convention and meetings business?

Answer: For hoteliers and convention planners, HCN's presence in every room is a competitive edge that allows for the most effective and guest-friendly convention management services ever offered. HCN's patent pending convention communication technology, which allows hotels to serve their biggest customers in exciting new ways, also enables them to reduce the cost of the technology through revenues. Convention management and exhibitors will pay for the use of the in-room digital signage during their event.

Question: Is HCN cost-effective only for large hotels or can smaller hotels take advantage of it, too?

Answer: HCN has committed itself to making the Navigator a cost-effective and positive investment for hotels of all sizes. The Navigator platform is scalable and allows for various levels and depths of information available to guests. Large convention hotels may deploy a large, robust platform that will serve the needs of hundreds of simultaneous users, while smaller hotels may wish to deploy an HCN solution with more limited functionality, capacity and guest features.

The important thing is that HCN is a solutions-oriented company. We will work with hotel clients to configure and design the platform that works best for them. We want hoteliers to feel assured that when the Navigator is in place on their property, it is unquestionably helping to build their brand while meeting the needs of their guests