Holiday Inn ready for Net connections

Holiday Inn is planning what is claimed to be the first chain of hotel-based Internet cafés with design by London consultancy Butler Cornfield Dedman.

Aimed at business travellers who may be put off by existing Internet cafés, the CaféConnection concept provides coffee tables incorporating “pop-up” screens. The first trial site has opened at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza at London’s Heathrow.

BCD director Mike Cornfield says the cafés are intended to be “comfortable and relaxing rather than have the aggressive techno-feel normally associated with Internet cafés”.

The consultancy has designed all elements of the new cafés, ranging from interiors to literature and screen graphics. “The aim is to encourage an older age group to look at new technology. They might get techno-fright going into the usual Internet cafés,” adds Cornfield.

Guides have been produced which are aimed at new and inexperienced users, and fully trained staff will be on hand. Guests can send e-mail, use the World Wide Web or play CD-ROM games.

Cornfield says the hotel chain plans to roll out the concept to other international sites with a second café likely to open in Paris.