Palm Springs, CA, June 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs (HRHPS) announced today the roll-out of a new, consumer-friendly in-room entertainment experience to replace the traditional paid video-on-demand system. The recently opened hotel will equip all rooms with complimentary Nexus Tablets and Google Chromecast, enabling customers to stream movies and television shows without additional hotel fees.
"We're excited to be one of the first hotels to offer this modern technology to guests," said Andy Carpiac, majority owner of the Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs. "With today's streaming options, paying $15.99 to watch a movie in your room seems antiquated and unfair. A more consumer-friendly approach makes sense and the Google system we provide for free is one of the best and most user-friendly options available. We think guests are going to really appreciate the innovative new approach."
The new systems include a bedside tablet that syncs to the room's 42-inch flat screen television. By logging in to subscription based services such as Netflix, guests can stream viewing content to their room's TV for free. The new entertainment systems are already installed in the majority of pool view rooms and suites, with complete roll-out anticipated by the end July.
"The City of Palm Springs is thrilled that the Hard Rock Hotel is utilizing this technology to offer visitors this consumer-friendly way to watch content in their hotel rooms," said Mayor Steve Pougnet. "I commend Andy and his team for bringing this forward thinking entertainment option to the Hard Rock Hotel and to Palm Springs and I would not be surprised if other hotel chains followed suit because it just makes good business sense and it's great for our visitors."
The capital for the Google Nexus Tablet and Google Chromecast project came through a recent crowdfunding round of equity financing by the Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs. The crowdfunding deal, performed by RealtyMogul.com which is among the largest and most credible real estate crowdfunding sites, was the first-ever crowdfunding of an existing hotel in the United States.
"We're constantly looking for innovative ways to improve the hotel and get current and prospective guests excited about the property," said Carpiac. "A portion of the capital raised through the crowdfunding deal was earmarked for the quick implementation of creative capital improvements such as this. We're creating a better overall guest experience. The bottom line is that we're in the hospitality business, and charging nearly $16 for a movie isn't very hospitable. We're excited to change that."
About Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs
Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs is a luxury 163-room resort located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, California. This beautiful, music-inspired hotel offers comfort, style, and sophistication in an atmosphere that is anything but uptight. Its location just two hours from Los Angeles makes it the perfect getaway, with year-round sunshine, a Rock Spa, shimmering pool with cabanas, plus fine dining and entertainment served up with a cool, laid back vibe. Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs is owned by Kittridge Hotels & Resorts, LLC. For more information visit www.HRHPalmSprings.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
About Hard Rock International
With a total of 185 venues in 57 countries, including 142 cafes, 20 hotels and 9 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company's two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Biloxi, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, San Diego and Singapore. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include Seoul, Vienna and Marseille. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Daytona Beach, Aruba, Abu Dhabi and Shenzhen and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.