Keeping historic hotels alive with modern connectivity
The
value of preserving historical locations can be easier to understand than
realize. Fortunately, innovations in technology like fiber and network
infrastructure are allowing historic sites and venues to not only survive but
prosper, leveraging tools around connectivity.
Whether non-profit or privately owned, historic locations need to attract large concentrations of people to simultaneously serve a cultural function and enjoy economic viability. But centuries-old construction and design can inhibit their modern usefulness. Here’s how technology can help.
Revitalizing the appeal of historic hotels
Because
they often possess special cultural and architectural significance in their
communities, older hotels offer highly attractive destinations for travelers
and event planners. Unfortunately, these structures can be problematic for
owners seeking to provide a modern technology experience for their guests and
staff.
Reliable
WiFi is often the first thing guests complain about at hotels, according to
a Hotel
Management survey. With older hotels, that challenge is
compounded by other factors, including tight corridors, ornately furnished
walls, fragile façades, and layouts decentralized from decades of additions and
renovations.
Another
challenge is ensuring a WiFi network design provides pervasive coverage and
answers the demand of a large concentration of devices within one area of the
hotel. In the case of a historic hotel, these areas can include a spacious
ballroom or grand lobby.
WiFi
solutions utilize the careful placement and sensitive location of access
points. They also leverage fiber connectivity that delivers enough bandwidth to
reach all parts of the hotel and surrounding property.
Older
hotels also benefit from managed
network solutions that prioritize WiFi traffic and
integrates with existing technology environments, including the hotel’s
property management system (PMS). With the right provider, a fully integrated
WiFi service can be installed in a manner that respects the historic qualities
of the hotel while ensuring it meets the standards of today’s traveler.
There
are many ways historic hotels can be fitted to accommodate the modern guest
without detracting from their original character. TV and entertainment services
can be updated to include casting, streaming and a wide range of channel and
content choices.
Giving museums a virtual lift
For
other enterprises, connecting people to history is more critical to their
mission focus. Connectivity has vast potential for museums and other historical
sites. It can help bring the benefits of a visit to millions of people without
requiring them to leave home. It also offers opportunities to expand and enrich
the experience for those who choose to visit in person.
At a
museum, an app can be installed on a visitor’s mobile device to serve as a
virtual guide. While the visitor walks with earbuds, sensors follow their path
and feed relevant audio at specific locations. With some museum apps, visitors
are given a selection of journeys from which to choose.
Other connectivity innovations include holograms and augmented reality/virtual reality exhibitions that allow visitors to experience unique angles and enlarged details of items on display.
Museum visitor apps and other immersive technology depend not only on ample bandwidth, but service that keeps the experience seamless by mitigating data lag. Fiber Internet Access prioritizes reliable, symmetrical delivery of connectivity, supported by engineers and technicians 24/7. It is scalable so that bandwidth can be added as needs expand.
The
thoughtful development of bandwidth capacity will pay dividends not only by
encouraging larger volumes of visitor traffic, but also engaging a broader
array of people in the museum’s specific mission.
The virtual portal provider Cuseum explains: “Technology allows museums and historic landmarks to not only engage visitors but also create memorable, immersive experiences that show why preservation is important instead of simply telling. Visitors can connect with rich and diverse historical narratives that bring history to life.”
Revitalizing communications with cloud-based
solutions
Many
historic business locations are constrained by the outdated services, aging
internal wiring and setups they rely on for basic services like telemetry and
television. An infrastructure makeover is needed to keep business tenants
productive and profitable; but how can it be done without significant
disruption to structural integrity?
Today
communications services offer an array of video-rich and mobile-friendly
features that work off the cloud rather than physical machinery. They can be
installed without wall replacements, room reconfigurations, or other changes to
interior or exterior appearance that potentially affect their historic
character.
Because they rely solely on existing internet connections, they also can be easily installed utilizing features already in place. Cloud-based unified communications solutions can offer an array of voice and video solutions that include conferencing, mobile access, and instant messaging features.
By
leveraging simple connectivity and ease of installation, offices in historic
districts can bring their internal and external communications capabilities to
today’s standards, without any changes to their character. This helps ensure
their preservation remains not only culturally important but economically
viable.
Keeping history alive
The
challenge of historic preservation is a multifaceted one, which requires
flexibility and foresight to ensure alignment with bottom-line concerns. Having
a technology partner who respects a focus on preservation in exploring
connectivity solutions matters, too.
The Historic Hotels of America, a program run by the National Trust of Historic Preservation, is one organization promoting the expansion of connectivity initiatives. The HHA recently named Spectrum Enterprise an Alliance Partner, offering connectivity-focused technology solutions to over 300 member hotels across the United States.
Learn more about how Spectrum Enterprise can help your enterprise embrace the advantages of historic preservation by exploring a multitude of connectivity solutions with a technology partnership.
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