Hotels are using Wii as special attractions for guests
The Nintendo Wii is nothing short of a phenomenon.
The console’s innovations have stirred the consumer market, including those outside the videogame buying population, into a frenzy around the Wii.
Hotels are the latest to capitalize on the Wii’s success but offering access to videogames, sometimes at inflated pay-per-play rates. According to USA Today, the fitness center at Manhattan’s Le Parker Meridien offers guests Wii rentals at $50 an hour. That figure will balloon to $120 an hour with the addition of a personal trainer.
The Wii is often looked to as a solution to help maintain a hotel or resorts contemporary image – to constantly provide guests with a new experience. Thanks to the Wii’s relatively inexpensive $249 price point, hotels view it as an inexpensive addition.
Robert Mandelbaum, director of hotel research and information services for PKF Consulting, told the paper, “From an amenity standpoint, (buying a basic Wii system for $250-$300) isn't as expensive” as installing flat-screen TVs or other frills. “This is a way for hotels to keep up with the times.”
Besides entertaining hotel guests, the Wii has already found good company in various retirement homes and even aboard cruise ships.
Hotels are the latest to capitalize on the Wii’s success but offering access to videogames, sometimes at inflated pay-per-play rates. According to USA Today, the fitness center at Manhattan’s Le Parker Meridien offers guests Wii rentals at $50 an hour. That figure will balloon to $120 an hour with the addition of a personal trainer.
Hotel chain Westin said that it will soon be rolling out Wii for guests at over 150 locations and resorts, though details and pricing were not announced.
The Wii is often looked to as a solution to help maintain a hotel or resorts contemporary image – to constantly provide guests with a new experience. Thanks to the Wii’s relatively inexpensive $249 price point, hotels view it as an inexpensive addition.
Nintendo’s console isn’t the only gaming device to be a draw for hotel guests. Guitar Hero is employed at Hotel Monaco Seattle, where businessmen partake in musical playoffs during the hotel’s complimentary social hour on Fridays.
Robert Mandelbaum, director of hotel research and information services for PKF Consulting, told the paper, “From an amenity standpoint, (buying a basic Wii system for $250-$300) isn't as expensive” as installing flat-screen TVs or other frills. “This is a way for hotels to keep up with the times.”
Besides entertaining hotel guests, the Wii has already found good company in various retirement homes and even aboard cruise ships.