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Chef Robert Irvine

SF Business Times Exclusive: How Comcast and a celebrity chef are launching this S.F. hotel

4 years ago

Note: This article was published by Katie Burke in the San Francisco Business Times on June 22, 2017.

Hotel Via is the first San Francisco hotel to be built from the ground up since 2008, and the folks behind the new 159-room boutique property are taking advantage of a bevy of new technology that’s popped up since then.

Technology has played an increasing role in hotels’ ability to deliver on service, and through a partnership with Comcast Business, the boutique hotel, which opened its doors yesterday, geared up a mobile concierge, personal tablets in each room to call for room service and access to personal Netflix accounts.

“Hotels used to be about the bed and the shower; now they are about the technology first, and then the bed and shower,” Barbara Perzigian, the hotel’s general manager said. “If you had a bad shower or bed you can give people a few drinks to forget about it. But if you have an Internet problem, there’s not enough booze in the world to keep them at the hotel.”

The property, located across from the AT&T Ballpark at 138 King St., has an average rate between $300 and $600 a night.

“When you build something from the ground up, you have a great opportunity to start with all of the right technology,” Perzigian said of decisions like incorporating fiber-network-ready cable. “We’ll never replace the humanness of the hospitality business, but the technology we put in makes it easy for the guest and makes it easy for us to take care of the guest.”

At a private event to launch the boutique hotel, Comcast Business partner and celebrity chef Robert Irvine said the ability to adopt the technology that creates a seamless guest experience will make or break a business — whether it’s a restaurant, a hotel or an entertainment venue.

The Comcast Cable offspring — which is in negotiations with other soon-to-be completed San Francisco hotel properties to be their network provider — has found that guest services such as in-room and public Wi-Fi, mobile apps and payments, location-based services, room control devices, in-room video entertainment, and check-in and check-out kiosks have become the new standard.

“Technology for hotels is something that needs to add convenience to a guests’ experience,” Comcast Business Vice President Ted Girdner said. “How can we make it so the hospitality venues can focus on the guests, and have more time to do it because the technology supports the interactions they’re going to have?”

Hotel properties across the city are sinking money into technology.

The Stanford Court Hotel in Nob Hill, for example, is knee-deep in a $16 million renovation geared toward upgrading the property to attract tech-savvy millennials and business travelers. The soon-to-open Yotel San Francisco in Mid-Market will offer smart televisions, automated check in, an app for guests to request a later check-out or get nearby restaurant recommendations, an of course, the obligatory free Wi-Fi.

With hotels scrambling to grab hold of the technology-focused demographic, here are the other amenities Hotel Via is hoping will lend it an edge over other San Francisco properties:

  • A keyless lock system that gives guests the ability to check-in with a mobile device that serves as a digital room key
  • No limit on the number of devices guests can use to access high speed data, voice and video
  • Multiple newspapers accessible through each room’s tablet
  • An app to access hotel services, set room temperature, order room service, curate city guides or make concierge requests

@SFBizKatie

Filed Under: Comcast Business
Tagged With: Comcast Business, Hotel VIA, Robert Irvine, San Francisco, technology

Public Safety Power Shutoff

An Xfinity technician examines a forest

Preparing for PSPS Events

Many of us are looking forward to a return to some form of normalcy as we work to rebuild and recover from the public health crisis. Californians are clever, resilient and optimistic people and we will find joy in every season no matter what happens.

While this year will probably feel very different, one thing that will, unfortunately, remain consistent is the threat of wildfires. June 1 was the official start of fire season and at Comcast we are working tirelessly to ensure we continue to serve our customers.

Concurrent with fire season, in many parts of California, we anticipate planned power outages – called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) – during this time, which runs from June through November. When gusty winds and dry conditions are forecasted, combined with a heightened fire risk, electricity providers pre-emptively turn off the power to protect the public.

Comcast’s Internet, TV and landline telephone services for homes and businesses require commercial power to operate. During a PSPS event, these Comcast services may stop functioning within hours after the commercial power is shut off. Mobile phone service may also be affected by a PSPS event.

Comcast understands this disruption to services is frustrating and has a major impact on people’s lives and businesses. The safety of our communities and employees is our utmost priority and Comcast takes care during PSPS events to ensure public safety.

Comcast also takes care during PSPS events to ensure we’re keeping our customers informed. We’ve sent a letter and an email to our customers with important information about how to keep informed during wildfire season.

You may also see public service announcements on your local news channel reminding you how these power outages may affect your services.

Here are a few things you can do now to be prepared:

  • Confirm your contact information at xfinity.com/myaccount—We will use this information to contact you if we expect a service disruption caused by a planned power outage. You can also use My Account to check if your service has been restored.
  • Comcast Business customers can check their My Account app or the Comcast Business Status Center to get information and valuable updates.
  • Download your favorite shows and movies for offline viewing—With the Xfinity Stream app, you can watch shows and movies offline in case you lose power.
  • Download the Xfinity Connect App to receive Xfinity Voice calls via your mobile phone—Xfinity Voice customers can make and receive calls with their Xfinity phone number using their mobile phone.
  • Visit the Comcast California Blog where we will post information, updates and answers to commonly asked questions. On the blog, we’ve launched a special PSPS web page where you can get additional information.
  • Follow us on Twitter — our handle is @ComcastCA and we regularly post valuable updates.

Even if power is off, Comcast’s team never stops working for you. From our family to yours, we hope you remain safe.

Comcast Business

PODCAST ALERT: How Technology has and will help Reopen and Transform the Hospitality Industry in California

2 weeks ago

According to Visit California, the state is expected to lose $78.8 billion in travel spending from the highest travel in 2019 and is not expected to go back to those levels until 2024. Hotels and restaurants are facing new challenges as they prepare to reopen, and health and safety measures are under the microscope like […]

Community Impact

A Look Back at 2020: Our Year in Review

3 weeks ago

Photo caption (Left to Right): Chinese New Year Parade in January 2020, Lift Zones announcement at Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County, a Comcast technician examines an area after it had been burned from a wildfire, Comcast Leaders & Achievers scholarship winner, Black Joy Parade attendees in February 2020, Comcast’s accessibility leader joins a virtual LightHouse for the Blind event.  Across the company and […]

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