More hotels have improved their services and facilities by adopting modern technologies and high-end appliances and devices for their guests to use. Some of the most notable upgrades include upgrading bulky TV sets to sleek plasma, LED, or LCD screens. These new televisions typically depend on cable TV and satellite subscriptions that provide a wider selection of channels and shows for guests. But the most tech-savvy hotels are now one step ahead-they have started applying IPTV solutions to provide their clients even better viewing experiences. IPTV stands for ‘internet protocol television’ and it delivers TV programs via streaming, with an internet connection.

All the TV manufacturers (including Samsung and LG) sell high-end LED and LCD TVs that support IPTV, making this technology more accessible for the hospitality industry. With IPTV, your hotel can provide higher-end media services through video-on-demand and complete IP entertainment solutions. Having better media and entertainment services may help improve the image of your brand, too, because it allows you to create a more personalized and attractive in-room media experience.

IPTV may be the solution for smaller hotels and resorts that would like to provide better media experiences to their guests. Using high-end middleware and a good IPTV system, hotels can deliver branded services such as time-shifted television, video-on-demand, and a feature that lets users watch any show they want any time and as much as they want. IPTV lets you provide more shows and content cost-effectively while ensuring features and interactivity that are usually unavailable for smaller businesses.

IPTV provides many other advantages to hotels. Improved picture quality with minimal distortion and noise is a noteworthy advantage. Hotels can likewise cross and upsell various products and services through IPTV, or use the technology to allow guests to easily communicate with the main server for information on room service, billing, and services like car rental booking and laundry. Some systems also allow you to create personalized services, like a welcome message with the guest’s name. You may even be able to serve special offers and other promotions, as well as local information, news and weather through in-room TVs in your establishment. The user portal is usually easy to edit and rebrand based on your marketing goals. Aside from providing your guests a vast array of TV and radio channels, you can also give them the ability to request room service, set wake up calls, and even check out and via their TVs.…

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The title of this entry suggests that I eat at the restaurant in question quite often. Actually, I do not. I was at the hotel for four nights, but only ate at the restaurant twice. That's how I survived it without compromising my gluten free diet.

The point of this article is not to rant against the hotel, but to illustrate what can go wrong at a restaurant, and how to deal with it and remain gluten-free.

The Problem with the Restaurant

I was a hotel attending an intensive course to help me with the direction of my life and my business. Because I have a gluten allergy and given that there would be no time to look for food outside the hotel, and anticipating challenges in finding food to suit my allergy requirements, I mostly bought my own food. I ate at the restaurant twice, and this was not a happy experience.

Because the course I was attending involved a lot of people, they had a buffet arranged for us. Before buying tickets for the buffet, I told the hotel staff what my allergies are, and asked if I could be accommodated. I was told this was possible.

Luckily, I only pre-purchased the dinners. When I showed up at the buffet, it turned out that I could really only eat the salad! The first night, Cindy, a really service super-star, was able to arrange an alternate meal for me. The second night she was not there, and the staff came up with something that technically I could eat, but really was pretty unsatisfactory.

Bringing My Own Gluten-Free Food

Breakfasts and lunches did work really well because I bought my own gluten-free food.

I do not eat gluten, but I can eat oatmeal. I brought a one-cup immersion heater to boil water, and added that to a bowl of instant oatmeal. Adding walnuts and almonds made it a pretty good and complete breakfast.

For lunch, I bought rice cakes, and canned meat (which I found at an Italian store in my home town). The cans have pull-tabs, so they are easy to open, and do not stink like fish, so that worked very well.

Planning for Next Time

I have another similar trip coming up in March. This time I will bring dinner as well as breakfast and lunch.

I have not planned my meals yet, but I have purchased a single-burner electric stove which I can fit in my suit-case. Some camping pots and implements will complete my kitchen. I will probably have rice with something out of a can – not exciting but better than restaurant food. If I can, I will try to come up with something interesting, but it will all have to work as airplane luggage, so there will be challenges. I'll add more when I have worked out the details.

More About Immersion Heaters

A few people have been asking what an immersion heater is. You put it in to a cup or mug …

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