The Rosslyn Hotel
The Rosslyn Hotel in Falmouth won the 2005 actnow ICT award for most innovative use of broadband. The judges were looking for a novel, clever and unusual use for broadband and they found it in the way Roy Jobson the proprietor offered broadband in each of his hotel rooms. He used economic reliable technology to enable the Rosslyn Hotel to be one of the first and at the time only hotels in Cornwall to offer broadband internet access in all their rooms.
Roy says “Offering broadband in every room gives us an edge in our competitive marketplace. It was a lot of hard work - we laid cables for forty five computer access points so not only can we give online access in all our 27 rooms but we have the facility to access the internet anywhere in the hotel, from the gym to the kitchen. In future this could be very advantageous.”
Since connecting to broadband in January 2003 they have seen tangible benefits.
Roy says “We are definitely busier over the winter now. There are a number of sales representatives and management consultants who use us on a regular basis because we offer broadband. They can come in, in the evening, download whatever they need and prepare for the next day in such a short space of time they find it invaluable.”
During the summer Roy has found that internet access has proved attractive to parents and children alike
“It’s great for the children - we have a PC in the lounge that they can use and it’s proved very popular. We also tell parents that we have internet access before they arrive so they can bring laptops with them if they choose. It keeps the children happy and that means the parents are too.”
They have used the actnow ICT award prize money to build a top of the range online games console for children to use in the lounge.
“In future we want to set up an online ordering and payment system so that we can manage the hotel online too.”
