In fact, they made their point perfectly clear to Owner/GM Paul Pulicken. And although no other hotels in the immediate area offer high-speed Internet access, according to Pulicken, the hotel needed to address this need quickly or run the risk of creating unhappy customers.

“We had dial-up Internet access at the property, but our customers were asking for high-speed Internet access,” Pulicken said. “So we contacted Choice, and they provided us with their list of approved vendors.”

After sifting through the technology companies provided by Choice, Pulicken decided on Telkonet Inc.’s PlugPlus system to supply HSIA service to the 69-room Quality Inns & Suites. The decision was based on price, ease of use and receptiveness to the hotel’s needs, he said.

No Additional Wiring

Telkonet has a unique offering, providing connectivity over a property’s existing electrical wiring and therefore does not require the installation of additional wiring or construction, according to David Powell, chief operating officer of Telkonet. The technology uses advanced algorithms and the system delivers extended reach, reliability and security, he said.

“Telkonet was the fastest and most responsive,” Pulicken said. “We awarded them the contract in September and then it took them about 15 days to [have the entire solutions] installed,” he said.

The hotel already had a T-1 line coming into the property, so Telkonet simply had to contact a local electrician to handle the connection to the electric box, Pulicken said. And because there is no guestroom installation— the system works by simply plugging in a device into any electric outlet— the deployment was fast with no disruption to any room or guest service, he said.

“We just give one of the PlugPlus systems out at the front desk to anyone who asks for it,” Pulicken said. “It’s as simple as that.”

Historically, about 10% of the property’s guests were using Internet service, so the hotel purchased eight devices, Pulicken said, adding if guest usage increases, he will simply buy more decreases from Telkonet.

“At present, about 8% of our clientele are business travelers and this is the strong season for us. Our business picks up in December and slows down in April. In season we run 80% to 100% in occupancy and average about 72% year round,” he said.

The reason for the unusual time of business travel is because the hotel has a contract with major league baseball’s Kansas City Royals, who practice in a stadium close by, Pulicken said. “All the baseball players started to ask for high-speed Internet access. Many of them are bringing laptops with them.”

Another benefit to choosing Telkonet is that the vendor did not ask for all the money up front, Pulicken said. Instead, the hotel pays Telkonet $399 a month. The entire installation cost $8,900, he said.

“The best part is I didn’t have to put out any money,” Pulicken said. The hotel is not charging for the HSIA service, but does require a deposit for the modem, he said.