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Ten best technology-infused hotels in Chicago get listed
Considering the absolute mess that O'Hare International is, we'd wager that you'll end up there a time or two on business or pleasure ventures. If so, chances are you'll be anxious to tune into a bit of HDTV after a long day in the Windy City. The Chicago Tribune has taken the liberty of breaking down the top ten best tech hotels Chi-town has to offer, and unsurprisingly, Hyatt properties -- you know, those with the Plug Panel -- were ranked quite highly. Additionally, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago is currently undergoing a pricey technology renovation that will be completed in 2009, and while it's not mentioned (could have something to do with all those construction workers still in the bathrooms), we'd imagine the Chicagoland aloft will hit the list next July.
aloft Dulles-North hotel sets sights on November opening
Just in case the recently revamped Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center isn't close enough to all the action for you, aloft is getting set to bring its traditionally modern style to a new hotel in Ashburn, Virginia. The 136-room aloft Dulles-North is merely minutes away from the Dulles International Airport, and besides being near a plethora of shopping and dining options, it also offers each guest free WiFi, their own flat-panel HDTV and a "one-stop connectivity" panel for interfacing with gizmos in tow. No word on just how pricey a night in this place will be, but you can find out for yourself starting on November 6th
Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center: now with HDTVs in every room
Ever wonder what a $6.2 million renovation can do? It'll buy 284 32-inch LCD HDTVs, that's for sure. At the Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that's exactly what has been added to its guest rooms, and all eleven floors have now been refreshed with the oh-so-useful "plug-in panel" that enables patrons to sync up their travel gadgetry with the in-room flat-panel. You'll also find wireless internet and more HDTVs in the lobby downstairs, and the free on-site parking makes you feel as if you're much further away from D.C. than just a half hour.
HDTV-stocked aloft hotel coming to Jacksonville, Florida
Not planning on heading to the Windy City just to check out one of those fanciful new aloft hotels? How's about Jacksonville, Florida? Sure enough, one of the aforementioned hotels is heading to the Sunshine State, and it's slated to include 136 HDTV-equipped guest rooms when it welcomes guests in next January. Aimed at "youthful-minded travelers," the building is being constructed with a number of "intuitive technologies and atmospheric public spaces." aloft Jacksonville Airport, as it'll properly be known, will be located just minutes away from JAX and under a half-hour from the downtown area. No word on HDTV programming that'll be available nor nightly rates, but it won't be long now before you can find out in person.
This is what a coin-operated NES looks like
While it's not unusual to be loved by anyone for hotels to include video game services, Japan used to do it arcade-style with coin-operated consoles (like the one shown above). 100 JPY (approximately $1 USD) would net you 10-15 minutes with a Famicom (NES), which means you'd have to lay down about $2 or $3 to for a satisfactory amount of this blogger's hotel staple, Punch-Out!!. The Super Famicom (SNES), though, was a bit more coin-hungry, and the $1 equivalent would only last five minutes -- yikes. Still, we're sure that if we visited Japan during the magical time that these boxes were hooked-up to hotel TVs, we would have let go of a few coins for some quick bouts of Mario and such.[Via Kotaku]
Trump's Las Vegas Hotel / Tower gets Cox HDTV, LG LCDs
Earlier this year, we heard that Trump's New York Hotel & Tower would be showing its guests with all sorts of IPTV goodies; now, we've learned that The Donald's Las Vegas counterpart will be fetching services from Cox Communications. The two have worked together in order to deploy a triple-play solution, giving the hotel voice, video and data services from the same provider. To the patron, this means that a host of HD channels / VOD material will be available on the 42-inch / 32-inch LG LCD HDTVs (located in the bedroom and living room) and the 19-inch LG flat-panel in the bathroom. In case you're hoping to get connected, each room will also have Ethernet jacks as well as 802.11a/b/g WiFi access. As for paying your tab for the week? Let's just say we hope the slots treat you right.
Philips' VTrack watermarks content recorded with camcorders
Certainly not the first watermarking scheme we've seen of late, Philips has introduced a new method that it hopes will thwart any plan to snag sensitive PPV material and distribute it illegally on the intarnetz. The VTrack solution, set to debut at NAB Show, is aimed at hoteliers who enjoy offering up PPV films well before the DVD release date. The company will be integrating the technology -- which makes content captured via camcorder traceable -- into its 26-, 32-, 37- and 42-inch HDTVs, and if someone does set up their own bootlegging studio and then share it with everyone on the web, content owners can unearth the time, date and location of the deed. In Soviet Russia (and hotels with Philips sets), content watches you.
Acentic Panorama HD-ready platform ready for five-star hotels
For those traveling to select parts of Europe (on the company's dime, of course), you may get to enjoy an all new entertainment delivery system if you're greeted with Acentic's Panorama. The high-end platform is aimed squarely at five-star lodging facilities and promises to deliver "in-room digital broadcast, on-demand and interactive TV services in hotels." Aside from boasting a new graphical user interface, the HD-ready system enables guests to access content on the web, check out on-demand material and tune into hundreds of broadcast TV channels with the "use of the DVB-C standard and support for IP applications." As of now, Panorama is already entertaining patrons at Arora International's Sofitel London Heathrow, and it should be deployed soon to the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour and The Cavendish London.
Come for the soft beds, stay for the Wii Sports
What's a good way to get folks into your hotel? We have no clue, what with being a game blog and all, but it looks like some hotels might have found a good way to get folks in their doors: gaming. We imagine if you have something the people like and want, they'll flock to you. That must be the thinking behind some hotels in the U.S. incorporating some of the most popular games into their repertoire of activities available to patrons. Games such as Wii Sports and Guitar Hero III. While we can't comment on whether this is a good decision from a business perspective, we can comment that this is a good decision from a customer service perspective. Now top Wii Sports bowlers and fast-fingered freaks in Guitar Hero III need not worry about getting rusty while they're attending that convention in Tuscaloosa.[Via Joystiq]
Hotels offering Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, Xbox Live to guests
Video games in hotels are certainly nothing new -- we remember playing Nintendo 64 in Best Westerns for a hefty per-minute price. Fancier hotels, however, are looking to introduce more contemporary offerings through special partnerships with Nintendo and Microsoft, bringing titles like Wii Sports and Guitar Hero to more playful guests.USA Today reports on a handful of hotels across the US which have begun incorporating more physical games into their services and offerings. Some offer hand-delivered consoles to rooms, while others like Hotel Monaco in Seattle host Guitar Hero nights at the bar, giving the title a social feel which can only draw further comparisons to karaoke. Perhaps most interesting is Hotel Sax, which is working with Microsoft to create a special Xbox Live network, which will allow guests to play games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero with guests in other rooms, free of charge. Sounds pretty good to us. LAN party at the Hilton, anyone?
Motorola & Swisscom pair up on "advanced guest services" for hotels
Sure fitting in a few flat panels and a state of the art communications system is no problem in a brand new hotel, but what about existing ones? Swisscom's got an answer, signing a deal with Motorola to distribute the mT2a PowerBroadband system in hotels across Europe and North America. The key about this system, is everything needed to bring HDTV, VOD and high speed internet to a room, is included in a wallplate that replaces a traditional phone jack, no set top box needed. Cheaper and easier to implement makes it a little more likely that even a hotel you've been to many times before might be HD ready the next time you swing through.
aloft opening HDTV-equipped hotel in Chicagoland
Sure, a trio of aloft hotels opening halfway across the world is fine and dandy, but how's about getting one right here in the US of A? Sure enough, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced plans to construct an aloft facility in the outskirts of Chicago -- Bolingbrook to be precise. The venue is slated to house 155 guest rooms and be located in The Promenade on the Windy City's southwest side. Of course, each room will feature wireless internet and a smattering of connectivity options all linked into a flat-panel HDTV. Unfortunately, it'll be July of 2009 before you can check in for a night or two, but at least you know where to steer your travel plans if heading this way.
The Window Channel HD wants to improve your hotel room's view
So you didn't follow Gadling's travel tips, and end up stuck at some trade show for a week in well-appointed room with a stunning view of the...parking lot. Not that that's ever happened to us, but hopefully in the future we you will be in a hotel with a flat panel tuned to The Window Channel. Designed specifically for hotel operators, the idea is to give visitors a window to anywhere in the world, with five minute, single camera "locked down" clips from Maui, the Champs-Elysées and other locations slightly more glamorous than wherever you really are. Not sure if 1080i and 5.1 surround is worth calling ahead for? Check out TheWindowChannel.com for some lower-res preview clips and see if it doesn't bring you around.
aloft bringing luxurious hotel to Abu Dhabi
Nah, it won't be open for guests before this year's GITEX conference kicks off just down the way in Dubai, but Starwood Hotels & Resorts is moving forward with plans to erect its first aloft hotel in the anxious-for-HD Middle East. If you'll recall, two such venues are slated to open their doors in India just two short years from now, but the one pictured above should be completed in Q4 of 2009. Aside from being right in the heart of the Capital Center, every last guest room will include WiFi and an entertainment center packed with a flat-panel HDTV and a selection of ports in order to link up gear that patrons may have on hand. Of course, it still won't hold a candle to the mighty Burj Al Arab, but it'll keep HD junkies from going into withdrawals while out on business / vacation, for sure.
Hyatt Place bringing March Madness to traveling fans
For those who have already shed tears seeing that their upcoming business trip will take them away from their home during March Madness, we've excellent news. If there just so happens to be a Hyatt Place -- which is known for keeping sports fan on-the-go in the loop -- wherever you're headed, you (probably) won't miss a minute of the always unpredictable action. Announced today, college hoops fans staying at over 90 select hotels from March 20th - 23rd and 27th - 28th can book the March Basketball Package, which will give them a one-day subscription to DirecTV's Mega March Madness, early check-in on game day and a game-day snack pack including a pizza and drinks. Better still, the complimentary WiFi will enable you to stay connected to real-time stats, but we know your eyes aren't going to glance away from the 42-inch HDTV for long.
Conceptual hotel takes a note from the Death Star
We can't say with a straight face that the capital of Azerbaijan is high on our list of places to vacation at, but for Star Wars fanatics, the case could be different. Reportedly, Heerim Architects has dreamt up a couple of "lunar inspired" projects for the Asian country, one of which (Full Moon Bay) looks an awful lot like the Death Star. Granted, the building looks entirely different from varying angles, but we're choosing to focus on the one that brings back fond memories of light sabers blazing and wookiees waltzing. Truth be told, we've no idea if these facilities will ever break ground, but we're absolutely certain the powers in Dubai are already planning to recreate the entire Star Wars universe if this thing goes forward.[Via Inhabitat]
Hotel Terra Jackson Hole getting HD IPTV, HD VOD
For HD junkies planning a trip out west to experience some "real powder," make sure you put Hotel Terra Jackson Hole high on your list of places to stay. The boutique facility, which is located at the stunning Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming, is currently being developed in two phases. Once finished, it will offer up 132 rooms featuring Guest-Tek's OneView Media solution, which aims to deliver an undisclosed amount of free-to-guest HD channels via IPTV alongside a nice helping of video-on-demand content. Also of note, just 72 of the guest rooms will go live with the service this Spring, while the other 60 will be wrapped up in 2010.
Hotel Sax offers the ultimate gamer retreat
If you have plans to take a vacation to Chicago anytime in the near future and refuse to part with Xbox 360 for even the weekend, then Hotel Sax is the place to be. Expensive room rates aside, the ritzy Hotel Sax has one thing other hotels simply can't offer, a place called The Studio. Sponsored by Microsoft, The Studio is a room located on the sixth floor that's available to all hotel guests and is brimming with Microsoft electronics and lovely decor. A gamer's home away from home so to speak. The Studio features five (count 'em) five Xbox 360 Elites, five pre-loaded Zunes, a few computers and some widescreen televisions. And we didn't even mention the orange pillows. It's safe to say that Chicago's Hotel Sax is the rich gamer's hotel getaway.[Via Xbox America, Thanks Jordan]
IP-based VOD coming to Trump's New York hotel / tower
It's certainly not like The Donald to get left in the dust by competitors, and with all these high-class hotels making the move to IPTV, it follows logic that Mr. Trump would follow suit. Announced today, Trump International Hotel and Condominium is expanding its agreement with Microwave Satellite Technologies, which will enable the latter to install an IP-based video-on-demand solution into Trump's New York-based hotel and tower. The infrastructure will also support blazing fast internet connections, and the programming will reportedly be doled out to all 176 guest rooms "free of charge," but VOD purchased and interactive services will be charged on a per-use basis. 'Tis a shame the photo above is as close as we'll come to checking this out.
In-room iMacs added to hotel amenities
Mac lovers traveling to the UK may be able to leave their computers at home -- as long as they stay at a City Inn hotel.Guests will find a shiny iMac in each room, with full access to the internet, iLife and Office apps. Plus, the hotel will let you use the iMac as a TV, internet radio and media player (DVDs and CDs). "But will the hotel keep a history of what I do with that machine?" you ask. The answer is "No." They use Faronics Deep Freeze software to restore each machine to its factory settings every 24 hours, so you're safe (that also means you shouldn't save the article you're writing on the iMac's hard drive).This isn't the first time we've seen hotels offer Apple products to guests. In 2004, several W hotels gave away iMacs, iPods and music on "iTunes Days," and just last year Pod Hotels offered an iPod dock in each room. [Via Macenstein]
