Radisson Blu Jeddah — Photo by HOIST

Swisscom Hospitality Services recently deployed the Radisson Blu Jeddah and the Radisson Blu Yanbu with modern, scalable data networks to provide guests staying at these 5-star properties with a differentiated, hassle-free Internet experience. The two installations mark Swisscom Hospitality's successful entry into the Saudi Arabian market while underpinning the strength of its partnership with The Rezidor Hotel Group across EMEA, and the Middle East in particular.

Swisscom Hospitality currently services some 190 Rezidor properties – branded Radisson Blu and Park Inn – in 37 countries across the EMEA region with high-speed Internet access and managed network services, and part of this footprint also with its hotel IPTV solutions. In the Middle East alone, Swisscom Hospitality currently provides its network and guest services to five properties in the UAE, two in Kuwait and one in Lebanon; two properties in Oman are currently being deployed.

"We are in the process of deploying high quality, scalable data networks across the Middle East; fast and reliable Internet is a must for our guests", explains Fraidy Pinto, Area IT Director for The Rezidor Hotel Group. "Swisscom Hospitality is a great partner to help us upgrade and support our Wi-Fi networks. They have repeatedly proven their ability to plan, manage and hand over complex deployments fast and efficiently, be it at the Radisson Blu Dubai Creek Side in 2012 or last year, at two of our Saudi Arabian hotels in Jeddah and Yanbu. Guest issues with Internet service have virtually disappeared in all three locations since Swisscom's intervention."

Radisson Blu Jeddah, situated in the centre of the city's business district, has 292 guest rooms and a wide selection of meeting rooms that can accommodate over 500 conference attendees. As such, it was critical to ensure fast, reliable Wi-Fi to business guests, many of whom bring and expect to connect several IP devices during their stay. The 110 new Wi-Fi access points, provided by Ruckus Wireless, Swisscom's long-standing hardware partner, in combination with Swisscom's high capacity Gateway technology, can cater to several thousands of simultaneously-connected guest devices.

Although Radisson Blu Yanbu, a luxury hotel on the shores of the Red Sea, is primarily a leisure destination, Wi-Fi provision is still a priority for its international clientele. Here, the network upgrade posed some problems due to the thickness of the hotel's concrete walls used during construction 35 years ago. This necessitated detailed network planning and optimization, and identifying the right places to physically install in the property. Swisscom also met with the hotel management's requirement to do the actual implementation in less than 24 hours in order to limit the impact of Wi-Fi downtime on the hotel's guests.

"I am delighted to work with The Rezidor Hotel Group towards the implementation of its brand standards as regards guest technology", says Sami Mansi, Regional Director MEA for Swisscom Hospitality Services. "We have experienced system and field engineers across the region who can deliver a prompt and powerful response to any client need."

About Hoist Group

Hoist Group is the complete hospitality partner for hotels, health care institutions and public operations. With more than 20 years of proven hospitality experience, Hoist Group is the market leader in innovative High Speed Internet Access, conference services, TV & content solutions, PMS and back-office software as well as other guest-facing amenities. Many hotel chains, flagship independent hotels and public hospitals have entrusted their IT to Hoist Group. Based in Sweden, the company has offices in a total of 18 countries in the EMEA region. Learn more about the company at www.hoistgroup.com.