Tech Wizard for a Day, for the Price of a Room

From the New York Times:

A technology arms race is under way in the hotel industry.

Standard televisions are being replaced by flat-panel, high-definition displays that produce a better picture and allow a bulky piece of furniture to be removed from often-crowded guest rooms.

Internet connections are becoming standard, whether through high-speed hard-wired connections or wireless systems that allow users to stay connected wherever they are in the building.

Some hotels are installing docking stations for iPod music players to recharge the batteries and to play music over speakers rather than headphones. Satellite radios are also making their way into hotels seeking to convey a hip, high-tech image. And many hotel operators are looking at Internet-based telephones to replace the standard versions that cellphone users increasingly ignore.

As new technologies and gadgets proliferate, hotel managers have to decide which ones provide real value to guests and which ones may not be as important to them.

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