SAN JOSE, Calif., October 31, 2006 - Cisco®, Inc. announced today that Hotel 1000 in Seattle has installed the Cisco Unified Communications system to provide superior personalized and customized guest services, creating a more comfortable and enjoyable hotel experience. The Cisco Connected Hotel capabilities throughout the property will help enable the hotel to quickly and easily deploy new services - not only now but also in the future as other technologies and applications emerge.
Hotel 1000 features 120 guest rooms, 47 luxury residences, the Hotel 1000 Country Club and Spa, and a commitment to personalized, five-star services for guests and residents. Each room is equipped with a Cisco Unified IP Phone that provides information on hotel services, local attractions, restaurants and weather forecasts. Not content to simply meet the needs of their guests, Hotel 1000 aims to anticipate those needs and deliver customized service at every opportunity.
"To achieve our vision of the ultimate guest experience, we needed a technology that made the guests more comfortable, made their experience more enjoyable, but also gave a practical benefit to the hotel in terms of operations," said Brian Flaherty, general manager of Hotel 1000. "Cisco's innovative, forward-thinking customer-oriented solutions were consistent with our effort to personalize our guest experience, thus enabling us to more effectively anticipate the needs of our guests and allowing us the opportunity to more effectively and efficiently deliver the service experience that they are expecting."
The highly customized applications were jointly designed and deployed by Percipia, of Columbus, Ohio, a Cisco Technology Developer Partner, and Valcros, of San Diego, Calif., a Cisco Premier Certified Channel Partner. Cisco's Smart Business Communications initiative helped align a flexible network technology plan with Hotel 1000's top business priorities. As a result, the cost-effective converged platform supports the delivery of premium network services to guests, staff and management to help create a memorable experience that motivates guests to return.
"At Hotel 1000, Cisco Unified IP Phones are far more than a calling device," said Chris Farrar, president of Percipia. "With Percipia's hospitality applications, they are powerful interactive Unified Communication tools that deliver enhanced functionality while making a powerful statement about Hotel 1000's commitment to a superior experience."
"Hotel 1000's owners and management had the foresight to design the information and communication infrastructure at the beginning of the building planning process," says Mark Munger, CEO and president of Valcros. "That foresight enabled us to lay a foundation that maximizes hotel management and guest service delivery - from opening day into the future."
Tailoring the Guest Experience
Hotel 1000 guests can specify certain preferences at check-in, such as room temperature or type of music played in their room. That data is captured in the hotel property management system and sent to the room automatically, so the thermostat is set correctly and the desired music is playing when the guest walks in. If the guest is returning, his or her preferences were captured from the room's devices at the last visit, and the room will be adjusted accordingly.
Enabling One-Touch Control
The Cisco Unified Communications system provides Hotel 1000 guests with one-touch control over services through the Cisco Unified IP Phones. Percipia's directory applications eliminate the need for a thick telephone book to locate nearby restaurants or attractions. The IP phones are preset, enabling guests and residents to find information, activate their Do Not Disturb notices, change the room temperature, or set wake-up calls. Condo residents can see a visitor in the lobby via the phone, speak to that visitor and unlock the door or deny entry.
Video Valet Service
An IP phone-based application helps enable Hotel 1000 condominium residents to notify the valet staff to quickly and accurately deliver their vehicles to the hotel entrance by pressing a button on a Cisco Unified IP Phone. The IP phone connects to the valet parking system, sending a request to the valet staff's IP phone to retrieve the car. As the car is requested, the application also activates a video feed on the motor court IP camera so the resident can see when the car is delivered to the entrance.
Group Calling Features
Percipia created a distinctive group directory application that streamlines communication among group members while reducing the call load on hotel operators. The application dynamically builds a list of group members as they check in, and the list appears only on group members' Cisco Unified IP Phones. When one group member wants to call another group member, he or she touches the person's name from the list and presses a button to be connected. The call bypasses the operator. Group members can instantly view who has checked in and text messages can also be broadcast to all group members' IP phones.
Helping Staff Maximize Productivity
By extending communication capabilities in the hotel, staff members can always be in touch and provide high levels of service. By saving time, automating responses to many requests, and providing detailed information about guests and preferences, the Cisco Unified Communications system helps Hotel 1000 staff have more personal contact with guests.
The Cisco Unified Communications system linking the Hotel 1000 property with industry-leading security includes Cisco Catalyst® 3550 Series Switches, Cisco 2800 Series Integrated Services Routers, Cisco PIX® security appliances, Cisco Unified IP Phones 7900 Series handsets, Cisco Unified CallManager, and Cisco Aironet® 1200 wireless access points.
About Hotel 1000
Hotel 1000 is located steps away from the waterfront along Elliott Bay, and conveniently centered between Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, the business district and lively and historic Pioneer Square. Hotel 1000 is managed by MTM Luxury Lodging as part of the collection of luxury Northwest properties including Alderbrook Resort & Spa in Union, Wash.; Cave B Inn at the gorge by George, Wash.; the Freestone Inn at Wilson Ranch in Mazama, Wash.; Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Wash.; and the Woodmark Hotel and Spa in Kirkland, Wash.
About Percipia
Percipia, Inc., with offices in the U.S., Dubai, Hong Kong and India, is an expert in telephony systems and solutions, satisfying over 450 customers worldwide. In business since 1992, Percipia has won recognition both as a Cisco partner and for entrepreneurship. Percipia has deployed its hospitality applications software with Cisco IP phones in over 10,000 hotel rooms globally. For more information, please visit www.percipia.com.
About Valcros
Valcros Communications is a San Diego based consulting firm and provider of next generation networks. Valcros is a partner of Cisco Systems utilizing Cisco equipment to provide Voice, Video, and Data integrated networks to hospitality and commercial businesses. Valcros also partners with Sony to deliver video conferencing and video surveillance as well as AT&T to provide telecom and transportation services. Valcros works with customers to create an environment that provides exceptional services to the guest while increasing productivity and reducing costs for the property. Valcros is a member of the Hotel Technology Next Generation group, an organization working to facilitate the development of next generation, customer-centric technologies to better meet the needs of the global hotel community. For more information, visit www.valcros.com.
