Luxury Hotelier - September 2007 - (Page 56)

56| Innovate The wireless wave Providing seamless Internet access is a must for the high-end client Villazzo VillaHotels igh-tech amenities are gaining ground at luxury hotels. While offering high-speed Internet access to guests has become a necessity, wireless fits in more with the lifestyle and expectations of the luxury traveler. According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, wireless Internet access is the fastest-growing in-room amenity, with 82 percent of all hotels in the United States offering the service this year compared with 35 percent in 2004. This is not lost on Christian Jagodzinski, president of Christian Jagodzinski Villazzo VillaHotels, who believes luxury travelers should expect high-end properties to be wireless Internet-enabled. Miami, Florida-based Villazzo VillaHotels is a collection of multimillion dollar private homes offering five-star hotel service. “Technology was one of the main reasons I started Villazzo,” Mr. Jagodzinski H says. “I come from the [information technology] industry. Technology has become important in the home, and it is now very important for the traveler.” But instead of making sure all the fabulous homes that make up the Villazzo VillaHotels network are hard-wired with high-speed Internet access, Jagodzinski decided that wireless Internet access better fits the lifestyle and vacationing behaviors of those guests who choose to stay at luxury properties. “I have modeled our concept around the needs that I saw as a luxury traveler myself,” he says. And although every property is set up with its own business center consisting of a laptop computer, fax and printer, many guests simply choose to bring their own laptops and connect to the complimentary service, he adds. “We have IT specialists at every office who can help with any technical support a client might require,” Mr. Jagodzinski says. “Before guests check-in, while we are doing the VillaHotel setup (new towels, linen, fruit baskets, magazines, wine selection, minibar, gift shop, espresso corner), we also connect the Villazzo business center laptop and printer/ fax and test everything.” Because of the large size of many Villazzo VillaHotels properties, many access points often are needed at a particular home to ensure the guest can have access anywhere on the property. For instance, at the 11,000-square foot (about 1,022 square meters) Spanish Colonial-style Contenta in Miami, Florida, on the exclusive Palm Island, five wireless access points installed at one property ensure connectivity. » BY ELLIOT MARKOWITZ Above: Each of the unique Villazzo VillaHotels properties provide wireless high-speed Internet access, including this property in Miami, Florida. Luxury Hotelier | September 2007 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

EDITOR’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER INFORM NETWORK PERSONALITIES INSIGHT INSIGHT PROPERTIES ROPERTIES INSPIRE DELIVER PROTOCOLS INSIGHT INNOVATE DEVELOPMENT INDULGE INSIGHT CONNECT UPDATE DOSSIER

Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

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