The ultimate destination for business travellers

If you're a frequent business traveller, you've probably stayed in your share of boring hotels where you're lucky to have cable, much less internet access. But, due to the demands of today's technology-advanced society, many of these properties are being replaced by hotels that are pioneering some of the most innovative technology-based amenities.

Savvy hotel operators know that providing their guests with all the comforts and conveniences of home, coupled with some of the latest and greatest technological amenities, is necessary to remain competitive. That's why when visiting top hotels, you'll not only find state-of-the-art meeting facilities, but niche amenities such as on-site barbers and tailors, dry-cleaning service and guest rooms with all the upscale extras such as decorative furniture, high-end mattresses, signature bedding and linens, oversized bathrooms with separate tubs and showers, in-room refrigerators and microwaves and large flat screen TVs with all the movie channels.

Some luxury hotels are taking even bigger steps toward making the traveller's experience more unique by offering amenities you'd expect to find at an expensive spa or resort instead of a business or family hotel. For example the 298-room Grand Hyatt DFW, located inside International Terminal D at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, offers a new level of airport hotel luxury. Conveniently located equal distances from both coasts, the hotel has become a popular destination site for individual business travellers, small conventions and corporate meetings by offering some one-of-a-kind services that were specifically developed to cater to the individual business traveller.

Grand Hyatt DFW offers upscale guestrooms decked out with granite worktop desks; 32-inch flat panel TVs; exquisite meeting and party space; a contemporary lounge; a 24-hour MOKA coffee bar and Grand Met restaurant featuring an innovative, globally inspired cuisine; a heated rooftop pool, spa and 24-hour fitness centre; as well as wired and wireless internet access in its guestrooms and throughout the property. Travellers will also find a few unique surprises, including two new food and beverage programs you won't find anywhere else: iTASTE and The Virtual Menu, both created in partnership with AVT Communique and The Creative Effort, to enhance the experience for guests whose time in town is limited.

With iTASTE, guests can journey through a gourmet cheese, chocolate or wine tasting experience using state-of-the-art iPod technology without having to leave the hotel. Simply stop by the hotel's Epicurean Boutique/Über Coffee Bar, MOKA, where baristas help you select a tasting program and serve you with an iPod and a tasting tray at a community table that was designed specifically for iTASTE. Press play and you are guided through a podcast of your tasting choice, which costs US$ 25 each and lasts about 10 to 15 minutes per program. When finished, you get a souvenir DVD of the experience to take home and share what you've learned.

When dinner time comes around, guests dining in the hotel's Grand Met restaurant no longer have to wonder how an interesting dish on the menu might look or what courses work best together. You can try an interactive meal selection experience using a Virtual Menu. By simply touching a screen of vivid images, you can see detailed menu item descriptions and chef recommendations for food and wine pairings. After completing your virtual tour, you place your order with your personal waiter who is there to make further recommendations and answer questions.

Looking for a way to unwind at the end of the day? Take advantage of a new holographic spa audio theatre experience available in the hotel's spa. While waiting for a scheduled spa treatment, guests are given an iPod and a set of headphones. Then, with the lights dimmed and eyes closed, they are launched into a high-definition audio experience that literally and scientifically transports them into a state of meditation and relaxation they've never achieved before.

"The iTASTE, Virtual Menu and holographic spa audio theater programs are part of our ongoing effort to provide our guests with an innovative experience that is unlike any other," says Michael Stephens, general manager for the Grand Hyatt DFW. "We are constantly looking for novel ways to utilise the latest advances in technology in order to provide our guests with services they cannot find at any other hotel," he concludes.

Courtesy: ARAcontent