Thanks to Nortel (News - Alert), Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts will make its North American debut in Vancouver in January 2009 with state-of-the-art technology.

 

Located in the center of Vancouver, this prestigious 119-room hotel will feature fast, easy access to personalized services – from messaging and mobility to room service and reservations – using Nortel technology, all without making the innovative technology too obvious. For example, the hotel will not allow any color touchscreen phones to impose on the serene, ‘no-tech’ atmosphere of its luxurious guest rooms.

 

To help create this paradise, Nortel and channel partner TELUS will deliver Nortel Unified Communications (News - Alert) technology “behind the scenes” to seamlessly integrate voice, data and mobility services. With this, the hotel staff will be reachable and available anywhere in the hotel at any time, allowing them to receive and respond to every guest request on a timely basis.

 

In an industry where hiring and retaining a top-notch staff is critical to creating a memorable guest experience, Nortel’s Unified Communications technology is expected to also enhance staff productivity and satisfaction.

 

“Enhancing the guest experience is our top priority, and having staff reachable anywhere in the hotel at any time through intuitive, easy-to-use technology is a key part of our strategy,” said Stephen Darling, regional vice president and general manager, Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver. “We have confidence that Nortel’s solution will play an important role in helping us deliver both guest and employee satisfaction.”

 

“Nortel is helping Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver create a unique retreat from a busy, frantic, hyperconnected world,” stated Joel Hackney (News - Alert), president, Enterprise Solutions, Nortel. “The real challenge is to do this without losing the benefits of being connected. That’s a tall order, but Shangri-La trusts that we’re up to the challenge.”

 

Besides helping Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver create a relaxing environment for its guests, Nortel’s energy-efficient wired and wireless data networking will also help control costs and reduce environmental impact. Nortel data networking products provide up to 20 times the performance and seven times the resiliency of competitive solutions, while consuming up to 40 percent less energy and costing up to 50 percent less to own and operate.

 

The Unified Communications solution for Shangri-La Vancouver will include Nortel’s Communication Server 1000, Ethernet Routing Switch 5500 Series and 4500 Series, Hospitality Messaging Server 400, Contact Center 6.0, Wireless LAN 2300 Series and a variety of fixed and mobile IP phones.

 

Thanks to Nortel’s innovative communication solutions, the hospitality industry is gaining new technologies and strategic services that can help enhance the guest experience, generate new revenues and improve operational efficiencies for hotels, resorts, casinos, stadiums and arenas. Nortel hospitality customers include such well-known hotel chains as Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Hilton Hotels.

 

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s premier luxury hotel group, currently owns and/or manages 57 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brand. The group has over 50 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Japan, Macau, Maldives, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

 

Nortel’s next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel’s technologies are designed to help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world.