MediaSuite, Tout Suite!

Four-star Strandhotel Georgshöhe – off the north coast of Germany, on the East Frisian Island of Norderney – is a popular beachside destination for locals and tourists. The hotel has undergone a major modernisation program, bringing extensive entertainment services to all rooms, including access to all their preferred streaming services and apps, while letting guests take control of their TVs using their own personal device for enhanced home-from-home hygiene.

Wanting to remain ahead of the curve of surpassing guest expectations and embracing new technologies, the Strandhotel Georgshöhe’s owners approached PPDS Gold Partner, Hamburg-based AV integration specialist, AVARA AG to identify and install a state-of-the-art, future-proof TV solution, to offer a premium home-from-home experience inside guest rooms and throughout its 4,000 square meter resort.

Key requirements included giving guests complete choice and control over how and when they choose to access their TV and entertainment channels and services. In addition, with the global pandemic resulting in stricter hygiene measures and scrutiny, the hotel wanted to explore opportunities to limit physical interactions with the TV, shifting towards a predominantly digital experience, to reduce potential viral contact.

In total, 180 x 4K UHD Philips MediaSuite TVs (32”-50”) were installed throughout the hotel resort, giving guests a suite of linear and non-linear entertainment offerings. In addition to traditional local and international channels, Philips MediaSuite TVs are among the first hospitality TVs to feature Chromecast built-in as standard and, designed on an Android SoC, guests at the Strandhotel Georgshöhe can also enjoy access to all their usual streaming services. They also have access to thousands of apps via the Google Play store, including games, news and weather channels, and more.

To satisfy the hotel’s hygiene requirements related to the Coronavirus, guests can now take control and operate their in-room TVs using their own smartphones and personal devices via GuestConnect, the cloud-based remote-control app from PPDS. An alternative option to the often hard to clean and heavily used TV remote controls used by hotels, guests are offered a QR code at check-in, which, once scanned using the camera on their mobile device, enables them to control the TV in their room for the duration of their stay. Secure, GDPR compliment and no app download requirement, no user data is retained and guests are automatically disconnected when checking out of the hotel.

 The latest generation of Philips MediaSuite TVs also include Google Voice Assistant, letting guests take control of their TV, such as volume adjustment, opening popular apps and receiving local weather updates, through voice commands. As part of PPDS’ ‘Extended Lifetime’ promise, new features and updates, including the latest security patches, also become available as part of future Android software upgrades, ensuring TVs remain relevant and perform like the latest models.

 What’s more, all in-room information can be fully digitised, creating less waste for the hotel, while giving guests real-time info about their stay as well as access to restaurant menus and more. Content for each room can be customised from a central location by the hotel staff via the exclusive PPDS CMND platform, ensuring that every guest is provided with relevant and relatable hotel offers and information, as well as the opportunity for a more personalised experience, such as welcome messages.

Elke Winkler, Key Account Manager for hospitality TV at PPDS commented, “While not the primary purpose of a holiday, the role of the TV has become a key part of the hotel experience, particularly at the end of a day when people just want to relax and unwind. It’s here that the quality of that experience can be the difference between a four- and five-star review. You only have to check Trip Advisor to see what I mean.”