Connaught Telegraph, Wednesday 13 July 2005

Ashford Castle Upgrades its Technology to Five Star

Ashford Castle, one of Ireland’s most luxurious five star hotels, has upgraded its technology services for guests across the castle to five-star standards. Ashford Castle is the first five-star Castle in Ireland to install this leading edge technology. The 12th century castle can now offer video on demand and full internet access in all guests bedrooms. The upgrade was carried out by VDA and Kedington.

Mr. Michael Duggan, operations manager of Ashford Castle, is delighted with the new technology and services available for the guests.

He stated, “Ashford Castle is a five-star hotel and we needed to offer these services to ensure our corporate and leisure guests are happy. Now, all rooms have video on demand as well as full internet access, allowing guests to be entertained or to work while enjoying their stay with us. In fact, we have increased our busines directly as a result of having these services.”

Mr Duggan acknowledges the difficult task that faced Kedington as the provider of the cabling. “Ashford Castle is an historic, listed building dating back to the 12th century and so the project had many unexpected difficulties.

Many of the walls were six foot thick posing access issues while our historic listing means we had to be very careful with regard to the aesthetic look and feel of the solution. However, the Kedington team was excellent, professional, efficient and very sensitive to our particular needs.”

Kedington installed Cat 6 cabling across the castle to cater for the digital entertainment systems. As Mr Willie O’Connell (Managing Director of Solutions for Kedington) explains the castle required gentle handling.

“It was important that we planned the project very carefully. Heritage protection legislation is very strict and naturally we needed to provide a solution that was not only within the confines of the legislation but also met our technical requirements.”

The in room technology solutions was provided by VDA, leaders in the field of interactive television and building automation.

Mr Warren Edwards, a general manager for VDA in Ireland, points out that even resort and conference hotels such Ashford Castle need to offer their customers the most up to date in technology and entertainment services.

“What differentiates VDA from other entertainment providers is that our service is digital and is therefore future proofed together with the way we listen to our cleints and the hotel guests.

Our ‘Power TV’ is a revolutionary system for hotels that guarantees 100% simultaneous guest utilization of all services, allowing leisure and corporate access to the internet and on demand movies. No hotel manager wants their guests to have to leave the hotel to visit an Internet Café to pick up messages or browse the net,” sayes Mr Edwards.

Mr Duggan is very happy with the outcome. “As a result of the new cabling we also have been able to install Irish and US electricity connection options – again making it easier for the traveller to settle in quickly and with the minimum of fuss.

As the only five star Castle to offer these services our busines has grown significantly. It has certainly proved to be worth while investment,” he concluded.