Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007 - (Page 22)

22 Hotel Operations MUSIC BY STACEY MIEYAL HIGGINS, SENIOR EDITOR H&MM October 1, 2007 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition check IN Pictured is a tiny fraction of Muzak’s catalog of more than 2 million songs, which “Audio Architects” use to create music programs for hospitality clients. UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES MUZAK A soundsol ution Music offerings are diverse for hotels, and suppliers are ready to meet the needs of any property from a traditional full-service hotel to a trendy boutique hotel. According to Jon Luther, director, audio architecture at Muzak in Fort Mill, S.C., hotels must decide what kinds of experiences they want to create. “We’re surprised at how many are looking for guidance,” he said. “But hotels are starting to understand what [sensory experience] is.” Clayton Burton, v.p. of sales and marketing at Applied Media Technologies Co., which offers Sirius satellite radio, said the hotel operator usually is in the best position to determine the property’s music and equipment needs. Luther said the process must involve people responsible for brand decisions. Music is just one part of the sensory experience. “[Brands] like W and others have gone really far with it,” Luther said. “Ian Schrager, Hotel Indigo and others are doing some interesting things. And the high-end boutique hotels are driving what’s happening in some of the midscale brands. They’re now trying to take a page out of the W hotel experience, and hotels don’t have to go that far to create those types of experiences.” Take it home The next best thing to a guest experiencing musical offerings within a property is to take it home on a compilation CD. Many music suppliers offer services to create these CDs. Desiree Aoki, director, premium sales & new media, Universal Music Enterprises, said music has become a natural component of the brand-planning process. “The Loews Portoﬁno Bay Hotel is an Italian-themed property in Orlando; Universal works closely with Loews putting together compilations of Italian music,” she said. “A CD mixture of both established and new Italian artists are compiled as an amenity for VIP guests.” Jon Luther, director, audio architecture at Muzak, said the company is exploring compilation CDs. In recognition of its support of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s Sea Turtle Monitoring and Protection program, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, Naples, Fla., has gone “totally turtle” with Turtle Tuesday wine nights, sea turtle activity coloring books for children, stuffed turtles in guestrooms and eco-adventures for guests. Welcome cards are also provided to visitors during check-in, kindly requesting that drapes are closed by 9 p.m. to ensure hatchlings crawl to the ocean and not the resort. Through Oct. 31, the Lake Buena Vista, Fla.based Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress’ Summer Splash package offers room rates starting at $189 per night, as well as added incentives valued at $300. The recently renovated Wyndham Orange County Hotel, Costa Mesa, Calif., introduced “The Art of Generosity” guest rewards program. Incentive options include donating 10 percent of the event value at the Wyndham Orange County to their charity of choice; receiving a South Coast Plaza gift card for 10 percent of the event value; 10 percent off the preferred event; or earning double the event value in airline miles. The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel, Dixville Notch, N.H., is offering its Ski Free Package from January through March 2008. From Sunday to Thursday, guests will have the opportunity to stay for only $89 per night. The package includes lodging, breakfast in the dining room, lift tickets to the alpine ski area, and trail passes for cross-country skiing. Compiled by Stacey Higgins, shiggins@questex.com For more info Muzak? Come on get SIRIUS! 69 channels from just $24.95 per month. No commercials. No contract. Company Circle No. Applied Media Technologies Corp. . . . . . . . . 376 eMusic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 DMX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 Muzak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 PianoDisc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 PCM Technologies . . . . . . . . 381 Universal Music . . . . . . . . . . 382 ! .95/month Just $19 * Quotable NYC November 11-13, 2007 Visit us at booth #3265 for show specials! “ 800.741.AMTC(2682) / www.amtc.com * With 12-month prepaid subscription and purchase of SIRIUSBusiness Equipment Kit. $19.95 for first 6 months, $24.95 thereafter. A copy of this ad must be included with your order to receive discount. “Every hotel operator that is in a traditional contract should go ﬁnd their contract right now and mark [the expiration date] on their calendar … to at least remember [automatic renewal] is an issue they should consider.” CLAYTON BURTON, V.P. SALES AND MARKETING, APPLIED MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES CO. CIRCLE NO. 106 http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.amtc.com http://www.amtc.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007

Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007 Contents Independents Rely on Guest Feedback Models Showcase Aloft, Element Brands Trainers Emphasize Communication, Cooperation Perspective At Your Risk Satisfaction Trends Sales Clinic Energy Star Update HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Dressing Walls in 'Green' Music Programming Provides a Sound Solution Remote Check-In/Out for Leisure Travelers Q&A: Western U.S. Pipeline Softgoods - Beds and Bedding Transactions A Cause Célèbre Awards People on the Move Events Cleaning and Maintenance Solutions Marketplace Ad/Editorial Index Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.