Wireless Access On A Roll

摘要

Guests Of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. aren't pounding down the door for high-speed wireless access to the Web. But senior VP and chief technology officer Tom Conophy has earmarked more than $1 million to outfit 100 hotels with Wi-Fi technology. He's confident a growing number of guests will log on from the hotel bar or lounge―and he needs only 5% to 6% of them to use the technology each day to earn a profit. "It's a bet we're willing to make," he says. "It has benefits for our guests and our properties." The $4 billion hotel chain also plans to use Wi-Fi to manage its housekeeping staff, so it knows when rooms are ready for check-in seconds after the maid closes the door. And when beachside sunbathers want a snack, Starwood servers will take their orders and send them to the kitchen or bar via a handheld device rather than walking all the way back to the hotel. The result: faster delivery of hot food and cold drinks and satisfied guests who come back for more.