Month: March 2018
Bali has long been referred to as the “Island of the Gods”, and numerous tourists flock to the island each year. While any time of year will be filled with different sights and activities, those who visit during certain times will experience an added bonus to their visit. Bali is host to several different festivals that occur each year, and some of these bring excitement and sights that are unmatched anywhere else on the planet. Knowing when these festivals occur and what to expect can make planning or enjoying your stay in Bali boutique hotels even more enjoyable than normal.
Small festivals occur with regularity, due to the over twenty thousand Hindu temples that cover the island. Each temple holds its own celebratory festival twice each year, sometimes more. Funerals that occur on the island are also colourful affairs and often see the dead being cremated in extravagant rituals. While these small festivals and events are common and hard to pinpoint an exact time for, other festivals that are much larger and more significant are easier to predict and much more of an event. In some cases the Bali boutique hotels may even take part in the festivals, for better or for worse.
Every two hundred and ten days, the ten day festival known as Galungan occurs. This celebration is held in honour of the death of the ancient tyrant Mayadenawa, and bamboo poles bear gifts for the returning spirits of Gods and ancestors alike who visit the island over the course of the ten days. This is truly a spectacle and a unique experience, and you’ll likely see the signs of it from any of the Bali boutique hotels that dot the area. But all of these festivals pale in comparison to Nyepi, the Hindu New Year. This is both an extravagant celebration worth seeing but can also create hassles that travellers may not be prepared for.
Nyepi is known as the Day of Silence, and the days leading up to it will be filled with the creation of huge colourful giants and will culminate in a massive parade. The spectacle is incredible and will create a lasting memory, but the following day will not be as enjoyable. No flights will leave the island, no businesses will be open, and guests at Bali boutique hotels will be asked to remain inside and keep as quiet as possible. It can be a great excuse to relax and unwind, but you should be prepared for it if you’re visiting during the time that Nyepi falls within.
Starting 1st March 2012, Le Meridien Cancun Resort & Spa will be transformed into the new Sandos Cancun Luxury Experience Resort, as the Sandos brand takes over the hotel property to add yet another gem to their luxury collection of Cancun hotels and resort.
The former Le Meridien Cancun Resort & Spa has been owned and operated by Sandos Hotels & Resorts since 2010 and ever since then it has been upgraded and adapted to be ready to offer the Total Gourmet Experience – a High End All Inclusive Programme by Sandos to all its guests.
In conjunction with the new deluxe all inclusive programme, Sandos has fully renovated the resort’s Lobby Bar, which opened this past December 2011. By March 1st 2012, when the hotel’s full name change takes effect and the re-branding process is completed, the hotel will have added two brand new restaurants to delight the palates of guests with luxury culinary creations and a superior gourmet experience.
These changes will have a positive impact on all stays and as such the resort will be providing a special price to upgrade from European Plan (room only) to Total Gourmet Experience (AI) for those guests who already booked their Cancun holidays at the resort under the former European Plan for dates from March 1st 2012 onwards.
As stated by Mr. Alan Duggan in his recent communication, both companies, Starwood Hotels & Resorts (former owners of Le Meridien Cancun) and Sandos Hotels & Resorts, are fully committed to the smooth transfer of brands and the satisfaction of their guests for better and enhanced luxury experiences during Cancun holidays at the new Sandos Cancun.
Before the takeover, Le Meridien Cancun Resort & Spa was already a highly successful and acclaimed luxury resort with a Four Diamond restaurant and a distinctly glamorous French touch. Offering the best of Mexican hospitality perfectly complemented by timeless elegance with the finest European-style spa in Cancun, Le Meridien Cancun already had a reputation as one of the top Latin American resorts, as judged by Conde Nast Travellers’ Reader’s Choice Poll. The new takeover by Sandos will only add to the property’s prestige, with renovated interiors, upgraded rooms and a new set of lavish facilities for truly luxurious holiday experiences in Cancun.
HOSPITALITY IPTV True Unified Communications for Hotels
IPTV is the new buzz word in the hospitality sector and with good reason as it opens up a whole new world of interactivity and endless possibilities, which ultimately increases guest satisfaction and if designed correctly, will increase hotel revenue. However according to Wowtels managing director, Pietro Casoar, (www.wowtel-dreamwise.com), the Dreamwise IP unified communications system can provide much more than just TV to hotels. In this article we shall explore some critical elements that can dramatically benefit hotel operators by implementing the Wowtel Dreamwise system.
Lets take a look at some of the key points regarding the current conventional technology used in vast majority of hotels today. Conventional TV systems (Hotel MATV) consist of 2 main features:
A limited number of Live TV channels due to the coaxial cable networks installed
NVOD or Near Video On Demand
the technology falls short of providing any additional information and interactive services that may provide any real benefit to the guest and hotel at the same time. NVOD in itself is quite limited and is more than an inconvenience to guests as it requires them to wait for the movie to start, rather than immediately viewing the movie once the movie purchase has been made, says Mr. Casoar.
Standard MATV Technology
The overwhelming majority of hotels currently use standard MATV systems to provide TV to their guests via RF (radio frequency) equipment and cable called coaxial cable which was invented by Oliver Heaviside way back in 1929. Although the cable is widely used in most hotels and is a legacy technology, it is utilized to provide TV channels, NVOD movies and some promotional media. However according to Mr. Casoar, MATV systems fall short of giving any real interactivity or depth to the hotels communications network. What most people dont realise with current hotel MATV systems is that even though the channels come from a digital source, in 99% of cases the channels are actually converted and broadcast in analogue, thus greatly reducing picture quality, adding probability of interference which most of the time results in snow, thus, amongst so many other factors, basically resulting in a sub-standard service compared to todays high standards. Whereas our Wowtel Dreamwise system works on full digital IP technology, bad picture quality doesnt exist in our systems, says Mr. Casoar.
Conventional TV system shortcomings:
Channels are broadcast in Analogue and in standard definition
No High Definition Channels are possible using analogue
Poor picture quality TV channels
Susceptibility to Interference
Lack of personalization for guests
Limitation of the number of TV channels offered
Incapacity to provide interactive features to guests
No capacity to provide interactive e-commerce or marketing
Why use IPTV over the current analogue Hotel MATV Systems?
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a system which Television Channels and Movie content is converted into data and transported through an IP network (a LAN) using either the hotels existing standard copper telephone cables thus eliminating the need for re-cabling or with Fibre Optic or Category 6 cables in new hotels. The digital data is then transported through the IP infrastructure, directly to each room via an IP Set Top Box or IP Television Set and guests can simply access the TV channels and other content using a standard TV remote control. For more advanced usage such as writing documents, emails etc… a wireless keyboard can be used.
What this means is that not only can the hotel now provide 1080p high definition Television and real Video On Demand (VOD), but other technologies such as IP Telephony, Internet and fully interactive promotional services can now be provided to each guest using the same single I.P. network infrastructure thus resulting in reduced cabling and labour costs whilst significantly adding value to the hotels communications system.
What are the highlights that make Wowtel-Dreamwise IP System the best choice?
No limitations on the number of TV channels that can be provided to guests
Provide a comprehensive local and international TV and radio channel line up
True Video On Demand (VOD) with full Play/Pause/Rewind/Fast Forward capabilities
On Demand free movie trailers to encourage movie purchase
Additional local and international Radio Channels (Via satellite and Internet)
Music On Demand (Inc. Music Video) with literally thousands of music titles
Fully customized guest interface and Middleware
Private messaging from front desk to guest
E-commerce and in-house shopping from TV screen
Targeted Direct marketing and Promotions
Full Interactive capability
Personalization services
Online bookings via the TV screen/remote control
Real time weather reports, flight information and other information services
Guests can view their bill before checkout
Full PMS integration for single billing solutions on guest checkout
What are some other services that can be added to the Wowtel-Dreamwise system?
Real time automated IP Security and Monitoring
Hacker detection, Anti-Hacker response and guest protection
24/7 Quality control
IP Telephony and VoIP Communications (including Skype Connectivity)
IP CCTV Security Video Cameras (Including PTZ)
IP Public Address (for security and mood creation requirements)
IP Access Control
IP Intercom
Secure and Encrypted Remote Access
Business applications and Video Games
What are the main benefits for Hotels?
Additional and Increased Revenue Generation
Improved Customer Satisfaction
Immediate Customer Service Response
Interactive Advertising and Promotional Vehicles
Better Market and Hotel Performance Intelligence
Greatly Reduce Printing, Stationary and Operational costs
About the Author:
Andrew Spence is a hotel specialist communications consultant and freelance journalist, with over 35 years experience providing sound advice to the global hospitality / lodging industry.
About Wowtel
Pietro Casoar is the Managing Director of Wowtel and an engineer, who has over 16 years of global experience in the RF and IT industries. He is also the author of several technical papers and presentations relating to RF and IP communications systems. Mr. Casoar is also one of the founders of Wowtel Pty Limited and the Wowtel-Dreamwise system, together with Mr. Vincent Fitzpatrick.
Pietros linkedin profile: http://au.linkedin.com/pub/pietro-casoar/7/165/a61
Wowtel are a manufacturer and provider of full turn-key unified IP communications to hotels, resorts, mining villages, hospitals, retirement villages, serviced apartments, ocean liners, housing estates, government and most major projects. Wowtel operate in the Asian, European and Oceania markets.