If you’re a frequent business traveler, you’ve probably stayed in your share
of boring hotels where you’re lucky to have cable, much less Internet
access. But, due to the demands of today’s technology-advanced society, many
of these properties are being replaced by hotels that are pioneering some of
the most innovative technology-based amenities.
Savvy hotel operators know that providing their guests with all the comforts
and conveniences of home, coupled with some of the latest and greatest
technological amenities, is necessary to remain competitive.
That’s why when visiting top hotels, you’ll not only find state-of-the-art
meeting facilities, but niche amenities such as on-site barbers and tailors,
dry-cleaning service and guest rooms with all the upscale extras such as
decorative furniture, high-end mattresses, signature bedding and linens,
oversized bathrooms with separate tubs and showers, in-room refrigerators
and microwaves and large flat screen TVs with all the movie channels.
Some luxury hotels are taking even bigger steps toward making the traveler’s
experience more unique by offering amenities you’d expect to find at an
expensive spa or resort instead of a business or family hotel.
For example the 298-room Grand Hyatt DFW, inside International Terminal D at
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, offers a new level of airport hotel
luxury. Conveniently located equal distances from both coasts, the hotel has
become a popular destination site for individual business travelers, small
conventions and corporate meetings by offering some one-of-a-kind services
that were specifically developed to cater to the individual business
traveler.
Grand Hyatt DFW offers upscale guestrooms decked out with granite worktop
desks; 32-inch flat panel TVs; exquisite meeting and party space; a
contemporary lounge; a 24-hour MOKA coffee bar and Grand Met restaurant
featuring an innovative, globally inspired cuisine; a heated rooftop pool,
spa and 24-hour fitness center; as well as wired and wireless Internet
access in its guestrooms and throughout the property.
Travelers also will find a few unique surprises, including two new food and
beverage programs you won’t find anywhere else: iTASTE and The Virtual Menu,
both created in partnership with AVT Communique and The Creative Effort, to
enhance the experience for guests whose time in town is limited.
With iTASTE, guests can journey through a gourmet cheese, chocolate or wine-
tasting experience using state-of-the-art iPod technology without having to
leave the hotel. Simply stop by the hotel’s Epicurean Boutique/Über Coffee
Bar, MOKA, where baristas help you select a tasting program and serve you
with an iPod and a tasting tray at a community table that was designed
specifically for iTASTE.
Press play and you are guided through a podcast of your tasting choice,
which costs $25 each and lasts about 10 to 15 minutes per program. When
finished, you get a souvenir DVD of the experience to take home and share
what you’ve learned.
When dinner time comes around, guests dining in the hotel’s Grand Met
restaurant no longer have to wonder how an interesting dish on the menu
might look or what courses work best together. You can try an interactive
meal selection experience using a Virtual Menu.
By simply touching a screen of vivid images, you can see detailed menu item
descriptions and chef recommendations for food and wine pairings. After
completing your virtual tour, you place your order with your personal
waiter, who is there to make further recommendations and answer questions.
Looking for a way to unwind at the end of the day? Take advantage of a new
holographic spa audio theater experience available in the hotel’s spa. While
waiting for a scheduled spa treatment, guests are given an iPod and a set of
headphones.
Then, with the lights dimmed and eyes closed, they are launched into a
high-definition audio experience that literally and scientifically
transports them into a state of meditation and relaxation they’ve never
achieved before.
“The iTASTE,Virtual Menu and holographic spa audio theater programs are part
of our ongoing effort to provide our guests with an innovative experience
that is unlike any other,” said Michael Stephens, general manager for the
Grand Hyatt DFW.
“We are constantly looking for novel ways to utilize the latest advances in
technology in order to provide our guests with services they cannot find at
any other hotel.”
To learn more about the Grand Hyatt DFW, its innovative programs, or to make
a reservation, visit
www.GrandHyattDFW.com.
