Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC

As part of the development process, the Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC IT team worked closely with OMRAN to develop an integrated in-room infotainment and digital signage solution to serve guests across the resort. OMRAN previously had positive experiences with an VITEC IPTV system that has been successfully deployed at Muscat International Airport, as well as reference visits to several high-profile hotels in Dubai that have also deployed VITEC technology.

Based on these experiences, OMRAN recommended the VITEC IP video system as its preferred choice for Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC, even though other systems were usually deployed across the regional IHG chain. Mr. Meslum AlKindi, Area Information Technology Director, IHG Oman, and his team met with VITEC and local integration partner, VIT, to explore its requirements and to test the IPTV solution.

“Our previous IPTV system was very old fashioned. What we wanted for the new hotel was a modern interface that would really grab the attention of the guest,” says Mr. AlKindi. “Also, with that old system, making changes was very difficult and it did not give us all the features we wanted.”

Feedback from guests has been positive, and the IP video and digital signage solutions have proven extremely reliable. Mr. AlKindi has been particularly pleased with its ease of management: “If we need to make any changes like adding channels or updating signage, the software has been very easy for our team use,” he says.

Looking to the future, the hotel is now considering integrating additional guest services into the in-room Dining TV screens and Mr. AlKindi is confident that the VITEC system is ready for the task. “VITEC may not have initially been our first choice, but after using it for nearly a year, I would nominate it is as a choice for IPTV System into the future,” he concludes.