Inspira Santa Marta Hotel Selects Swisscom as IPTV Provider

Inspira Hotels, the urban and lifestyle retreat based on ecological sustainability, has chosen Swisscom as its IPTV solution provider. The hotel group, whose Santa Marta property is set to open in central Lisbon at the end of March, uses Swisscom's interactive IPTV solution not only to impress guests but also to reduce operational overhead, paperwork and ultimately, improve its environmental foot print.

The Inspira Santa Marta Hotel, with 89 guest rooms and extensive meeting facilities, offers an oasis of calm and harmony in Lisbon's bustling city centre. The historical 19th century building underwent a complete renovation in 2009, taking inspiration from the ancient principles of Feng Shui. From eco-friendly building materials to energy saving TV screens, the whole focus of the Inspira Santa Marta hotel is towards minimizing its environmental impact. Technology plays an essential role in this context: The hotel has been refurbished with a cutting-edge Category-6 Ethernet network which provides comfortable bandwidth for any kind of virtual communication throughout the hotel.

"We have chosen Swisscomas ourIT partner because it is a forward looking company," says Nicolas Roucos, general manager of Inspira Hotel Santa Marta. "We aim to be leaders in the domain of IP-enabled guest services, and IPTV in particular. We want to provide our guests with the best interactive experience whilst simultaneously reducing unnecessary paper wastage. Swisscom stood out as the most dynamic and committed partner for this challenge."

Thanks to Swisscom IPTV, guests will enjoy an interactive viewing experience whilst the hotel benefits from a range of innovative ways to communicate with their guests through the TV screen. Among the system's unique features, guests can choose their favorite TV channels from an intuitive electronic program guide, watch blockbuster movies at their own pace thanks to Swisscom's Virtual DVD Player (offering pause, rewind and fast-forward functions) and surf the Internet on the TV screen through a Wireless keyboard.

In keeping with the hotel's paper-free philosophy, guests can check and settle their bills online and consult the hotel service directory through the TV screen. The Swisscom Extranet, meanwhile, provides hotel staff with maximum transparency about the system status and access to personalized announcements on the TV screen. The Swisscom Network Operations Centre monitors the system 24/7 to ensure optimum service levels are maintained throughout.