The hotel may be located close to the A55 Expressway but its previous broadband connection was anything but fast. Being connected to the telephone exchange at Buckley six miles away means that Holiday Inn Chester West is, in effect, “at the end of the line” as far as ADSL broadband was concerned. The hotel tried to get round the restricted bandwidth by having three lines, but even this struggled to maintain 5Mbps, insufficient for the hotel’s high proportion of business users. Could FIBRESPEED help the hotel provide a superior free WiFi service for its guests?
The Solution
FIBRESPEED Service Partner and wireless connectivity specialist AB Internet created a wireless link from the network’s Point of Presence, or PoP, at St David’s Business Park near Ewloe. The hotel now enjoys a dedicated 20Mbps service via a single wireless link. With up to 70 per cent of the hotel’s customers on business stays, rapid access to email and web applications is now assured.
The Benefits
No more egg-timer symbols or “buffering” messages! Guests can use the free WiFi service to stream video, and use social networking sites and video telephone services such as Skype. With many guests staying through work contracts, sometimes up to several months, the ability to communicate to family and friends via Internet services is vital. It’s a key selling point for the hotel to win lucrative accommodation contracts.
“Previously, our guests could do little more than access emails and the Internet. Now we can offer video streaming, video conferencing and more.”
Maria Sharples, Accommodation Services Manager, Holiday Inn Chester West