PPDS announced its exclusive range of market-leading Philips MediaSuite professional TVs has been selected and installed inside all 130 guest rooms at one of Europe’s leading luxury health and wellness spa resorts, bringing extensive new entertainment choices to guests and a choice of health and hygiene remote control solutions.
Part of a major modernization program, the four-star Strandhotel Georgshöhe— located off the north coast of Germany on the picturesque East Frisian Island of Norderney—is a popular beachside destination for locals and tourists to relax and unwind, boasting stunning sea views and a variety of award-winning and internationally-recognized health and wellness facilities.
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While not the primary purpose of a holiday, the role of the TV has become a key part of the hotel experience, particularly at the end of a day when people just want to relax and unwind.
Elke Winkler
Fueled by a desire to remain ahead of the curve in surpassing guest expectations and embracing new technologies, the Strandhotel Georgshöhe’s owners turned to PPDS Gold Partner, Hamburg-based AV integration specialist, AVARA AG to identify and install a state-of-the-art, futureproof TV solution, to offer a premium home-from-home experience inside guest rooms and throughout its 4,000-square-meter resort.
Key requirements included giving guests complete choice and control over how and when they choose to access their preferred TV and entertainment channels and services. In addition, with the global pandemic resulting in stricter hygiene measures and scrutiny, the hotel wanted to explore opportunities to limit physical interactions with the TV, shifting towards a predominantly digital experience, to reduce potential contact and fears of spreading harmful germs, bacteria, and viruses.
Room service
In total, 180 4K UHD 32-50-inch Philips MediaSuite TVs—designed and built exclusively for enhanced in-room hotel viewing experiences—were installed throughout the hotel resort, offering guests a full suite of linear and non-linear entertainment offerings.
In addition to traditional local and international channels, Philips MediaSuite TVs are among the first hospitality TVs to feature Chromecast built-in as standard and designed on an Android SoC, guests at the Strandhotel Georgshöhe can also enjoy effortless access to all their favorite streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, and YouTube directly on the big screen. They also have access to thousands of apps via the Google Play store, including games, news and weather channels, and many more.
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"While not the primary purpose of a holiday, the role of the TV has become a key part of the hotel experience, particularly at the end of a day when people just want to relax and unwind," commented Elke Winkler, key account manager for hospitality TV at PPDS. "It’s here that the quality of that experience can be the difference between a four and five-star review. You only have to check Trip Advisor to see what I mean.
“Viewing habits have evolved significantly in recent years, with many people now preferring to access their content via popular streaming services, such as Netflix— uniquely embedded in Philips MediaSuite TVs—which has more than 221 million subscribers. It’s therefore essential that hotels like the Strandhotel Georgshöhe, are able to match those preferred experiences, be it via Chromecast or dedicated or embedded apps, while still accommodating for those preferring a traditional TV schedule. With Philips MediaSuite, guests get the best of all worlds, for the perfect home-from-home TV experience.”
Home-from-home hygiene
To satisfy the hotel’s hygiene requirements related to the coronavirus, guests can now take control and operate their in-room TVs using their own smartphones and personal devices via GuestConnect, the cloud-based remote-control app from PPDS. An alternative option to the often hard to clean and heavily used TV remote controls used by hotels, guests are offered a QR code at check-in, which, once scanned using the camera on their mobile device, enables them to control the TV in their room for the duration of their stay. Secure, GDPR compliment and no app download requirement, no user data is retained, and guests are automatically disconnected when checking out of the hotel.
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The latest generation of Philips MediaSuite TVs also include Google Voice Assistant, letting guests take control of their TV, such as volume adjustment, opening popular apps and receiving local weather updates, through voice commands. As part of PPDS’ ‘Extended Lifetime’ promise, new features and updates, including the latest security patches, also become available as part of future Android software upgrades, ensuring TVs remain relevant and perform like the latest models.
What’s more, all in-room information can be fully digitized, creating less waste for the hotel, while giving guests real-time info about their stay as well as access to restaurant menus and more. Content for each room can be customized from a central location by the hotel staff via the exclusive PPDS CMND platform, ensuring that every guest is provided with relevant and relatable hotel offers and information, as well as the opportunity for a more personalized experience, such as welcome messages.
“Room hygiene has never been more important nor scrutinized by hotel guests and never more challenging for hoteliers," said Jeroen Verhaeghe, international business manager professional TV, PPDS. "The TV remote control is historically one of the filthiest and most used items found in hotel room, coming into contact with potentially thousands of hands over its lifetime. They are also traditionally one of the most difficult to clean. For that reason, we have introduced GuestConnect, giving that little extra level of control and peace of mind to guests who want it, with the history and health of those that have used their own device likely limited to themselves and their family.
“At PPDS, we’re always innovating to ensure our products and solutions are perfectly aligned with the customer and that we are able to respond immediately to any market changes, whether that’s access to a new service, or introducing new solutions to support challenges associated with the pandemic," Verhaeghe continued. "As Germany’s most popular hospitality TV range, we’re delighted the Strandhotel Georgshöhe and its guests are able to enjoy all the benefits that Philips MediaSuite brings for themselves.”
“Philips MediaSuite delivered an ideal combination of innovative TV technology and user-friendly menu navigation for hotel staff as well as their guests," Matthias Pohl, CEO, AVARA, concluded.
Benefits at a glance:
- GuestConnect: Guests can fully operate their in-room TV using their personal devices without downloading any extra apps—simply scan a QR code for instant access.
- Chromecast built-in: Guests can stream their personal content on the big screen without the need for extra hardware or software, ensuring easy steaming and device security.
- Netflix: Guests can enjoy the comfort of home entertainment with a touch of a button, making Netflix viewing instant and intuitive, directly on the TV.
- Custom content: MediaSuite and CMND allow staff to create and deploy custom content to guestrooms including guest information, hotel information, restaurant menus, and tourist attractions.
- Easy updates: Content and software updates can be easily made by the hotel staff and AVARA AG via CMND, saving time and money.
- Paperless rooms: The hotel information folder has been replaced by digital content displayed on the big screen—giving guests access to the latest information, whilst also minimizing clutter and environmental impact.
Full product list:
- Philips MediaSuite 32-inch 32HFL5114/12 Professional TVs (38 units)
- Philips MediaSuite 43-inch 43HFL5114U/12 Professional TVs (91 units)
- Philips MediaSuite 43-inch 43HFL6114U/12 Professional TVs (3 units)
- Philips MediaSuite 50-inch 50HFL5114U/12 Professional TVs (51 units)
