From guest rooms to ballrooms — and everywhere else — Crestron can deliver a complete solution for any hotel or casino
The Oxford English Dictionary provides three definitions of the word “hospitality.” One is what you’d expect Crestron to be primarily concerned with, “the business of providing food, drink, and accommodation for customers.”
But there’s another definition that’s just as important: “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.”
As Crestron has with other segments of its business, the focus on the latter — the experience, that is — should inform the technology that’s being deployed.
The Grand Welcome
“One of the key elements we concern ourselves with is the moment the guest first enters the room,” says Crestron’s VP of Hospitality Michelle Guss. “The goal is what we call ‘the grand welcome scene.’”
“When a visitor first unlocks their door, the motorized shades can open or shut as the lights automatically adjust to the perfect level. The thermostat may already be set to a guest’s preference at check-in. It can have the TV power up with the hotel’s welcome message. If it’s a luxury suite with audio, that guest may have been asked for a specific genre of music or natural sound that begins to play in the background.”
And once the guest is inside the room, their control options are flexible, says Guss. “We have multiple devices for those who are comfortable with a touch screen, but we always couple them with keypads for users who prefer simpler interfaces.”
Beyond the Grand Welcome
Beyond the “grand welcome,” the Crestron team has provided solutions for every aspect of a visitor’s interaction with the hotel room:
- Outside the door, the guest is greeted by an elegant glass-finish sign with the room number and several illuminated indicators — a chiming doorbell button that’s flanked by illuminated do-not-disturb and make-up-room icons so a guest can request service at their convenience.
- The door unlocks with a keycard from one of several systems (such as VingCard®, ASSA ABLOY®, dormakaba, or SALTO Systems), which triggers the “grand welcome scene.”
- A stylish keypad welcomes the guest, with backlit one-touch functions for lighting and the exterior sign’s icons. A sensor reports occupancy to hotel management.
- Once in the room, keypads or touch panels (or a combination) offer a variety of commands from AV control to valet requests, preconfigured (or user-customized) scenes such as “Good Morning,” “Goodnight,” “Relax,” or more while a Crestron Horizon® thermostat handles climate control.
- When the guest leaves the room, lights and AV shut down, shades close, and HVAC shifts to “eco mode.” The in-room sensor then reports a vacancy status to management. Preferences can be saved for the guest’s return.
A Technological Advantage for Every Space
Since Crestron has decades of experience building technological solutions for both residential and commercial applications, the company is well-suited to serve every aspect of the hospitality experience. “Crestron is the only company in the world that manufactures, designs, and engineers the full top-to-bottom technology solution for every space in the hotel,” Guss explains.
That attention to detail can also be found in Crestron-outfitted meeting rooms and conference spaces. Guss notes that those who can work remotely often add “work from hotel” to their “work from home” status. That means there’s a demand for connected meeting spaces in addition to robust Wi-Fi® wireless technology throughout the building.
Solutions for the Whole Hotel
Systems that drive other parts of the building can provide staff with the same ease of use that guests experience. A Crestron integrator can outfit the right tech for every aspect of a hotel’s operation, including:
- Lobbies and reception areas — “That first impression is key,” says Guss. Crestron makes digital signage solutions that are easy to manage, along with intuitive control of lighting and ambient sound. Crestron’s management systems make things easy on the other side of the reception desk, tying in everything from concierge services to room scheduling.
- Ballrooms — From multi-point AV systems that can distribute sound (including best-in-class speaker options) and video to simplified control of lighting, drapery, and HVAC, Crestron has event spaces covered.
- Conference and meeting rooms — Options include high-definition video conferencing with stellar audio, lighting and shading, scheduling and occupancy-sensing systems, and “BYOD” (“Bring Your Own Device”) solutions such as Crestron’s AirMedia® wireless presentation and conferencing systems.
- Bars and restaurants — Making TV switching a breeze means that hosts and servers can pay more attention to service — and less time searching for the preferred game for the party at Table 12. Add easily controlled audio, video, lighting, shading, and climate to the mix, and you’ll be able to quickly customize the experience.
A Single Pane of Glass
“Because we make the components that can handle all of this functionality, all of those Crestron devices can then be managed and monitored from a single pane of glass,” says Guss. In addition to receiving reports on everything from climate adjustments to maid service, the system can also alert management to any problems that might come up. In fact, this system can flag that there might be an issue before the guest ever knows about it, ensuring that every aspect of a stay will be free of hiccups.
That control can also program scenes that are not just pleasant for the guests but helpful for the hotel operator, too. “Think about south-facing rooms — closing the shades when they’re unoccupied and reducing that solar gain could really help cool those spaces,” says Guss.
Additionally, “Crestron creates high-quality products that are built to last and that directly impacts their job — first and foremost reducing the number of service calls hotel staff might have,” says Guss. “We also have a hospitality partner program that gives operators direct access to our training, our software tools, and support.
“Ultimately, this is about creating the best possible experience for every guest in the hotel — while at the same time simplifying the operator’s job.”
Learn more about Crestron’s complete line of hospitality solutions here.
For more information on Crestron Hospitality Solutions, please contact Crestron’s Vice President of Hospitality, Michelle Guss: [email protected]
