[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Australian company inter-touch claims to have become the largest provider of broadband Internet access services to the hospitality industry with the
announcement today of a deal with Bass Hotels & Resorts, which owns chains Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts and Holiday Inn.
Up to 120,000 rooms in the Asia Pacific, European, African, Middle East and Latin American regions are included in the deal. inter-touch now has
preferred vendor status to provide in-room broadband Internet services
and e-commerce services at Bass Hotels & Resorts in what it claims is the largest deal ever signed for guestroom Internet technology outside North America.
Under the contract, guestrooms and meeting/conference rooms at 570 Bass
hotels in 77 countries will be eligible for installation with services from
inter-touch. The deal brings the number of hotel rooms contracted by
inter-touch up to 150,000.
M. L. Gable, Director Global Hotel Technology for Bass Hotels & Resorts said provision of broadband services was becoming increasingly important in the hospitality industry. “We are aiming to drive customer preference for staying at Bass properties through technology,” said Mr Gable. “In the hospitality industry, the guest experience defines the brand, so we need to ensure that our guests always have a positive experience with technology.”
Installation at some Bass properties has commenced with the full roll out scheduled to be completed within two years.
Inter-touch currently has a staff of 125 located throughout the Asia Pacific
and European, African and the Middle East regions. Future plans include the increase of staff by 50 percent and open new offices in Latin America and expand its operations throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The hotels included in the initial rollout are: Holiday Inn Group Australia,
Hotel Inter-Continental Singapore, Holiday Inn Park View Singapore, Hotel
Inter-Continental Manila, Hotel Grand Intercontinental Seoul, Korea, Holiday Inn Seoul, Hotel Inter-Continental Tokyo Bay, Hotel Inter-Continental Shanghai, Holiday Inn Shanghai, Holiday Inn Beijing, Crowne Plaza Beijing and Holiday Inn Chengdu.