LRG Acquisition Limited, has invested £9Million in Acentic’s latest state-of-the-art in-room interactive guest communication services and digital entertainment system to upgrade 59 Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza hotel properties in the UK.

With the integration of Acentic Horizon HSIA and Panorama HD, Acentic is the first to bring true convergence between the TV experience and HSIA to the hotel industry. Acentic’s revolutionary new core UI is a cross-platform approach that connects the same branded look and feel on the TV, on laptops and other wireless devices, such as the iPhone and BlackBerry.

This approach enables hoteliers to cross merchandise between the iTV platform and GUI log-in pages to encourage guests to buy the full bundled packages. Guests can purchase Internet access and movies on all platforms throughout all hotel areas, such as using their iPhone in the hotel bar or restaurant and make use of their purchase in the room as well. They can also access the Internet from two different devices, such as a laptop and iPhone, while paying only once.

Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza guests will experience encrypted and secure Wi-Fi Internet access throughout all areas of the hotels. Horizon’s expanded features will differentiate the 59 hotels with its full support for all mobile devices, so guests can continue to do more on the go. Horizon’s flexibility to offer cost-effective bundled solutions that complement the Panorama iTV system underlines also the seamless and tight integration with the hotels’ existing network infrastructure.

Acentic Panorama HD brings in-room digital broadcast, on-demand and interactive TV services to upscale hoteliers for the highest quality high definition viewing experience using IP and Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standards with a HDTV headend and end-to-end digital distribution.

"LRG and IHG UK Managed Estate spent an extensive amount of time reviewing guest requirements and found that bundling our latest Horizon HSIA and sophisticated Panorama HD is the optimal technology solution that caters for the digital lifestyle guests are demanding in the hotel room," said Richard Robinson, CEO of Acentic. "With outstanding wireless Internet connectivity and high definition entertainment, as well as valuable functionality for hoteliers, these hotels are sure to see a huge ROI with the increased revenue potential from Acentic’s revolutionary upgrades."

"Acentic’s offering is very attractive because of its converged strategy that reflects the needs and wants of our guests. Horizon and Panorama work seamlessly to bring entertainment content from multiple sources, as well as enable all types of devices from LCD screens to laptop to mobiles," said Will Morris, IHG Managing Director UK & Ireland. "This is a significant investment and one in which we are confident to be leading the UK in advanced hotel technology for our guests."

To ensure HD viewing with the highest resolution and picture quality, Acentic will provide more than 11,000 latest LG LCD TVs developed specifically for IHG’s installation. The 32" and 37" TVs for guest bedrooms, as well as 50-inch TVs in the bar areas, are the first to deploy the LG Pro:Idiom encryption technology over coax in Europe. Pro:Idiom provides end-to-end cryptographic security for protecting digital HD and SD video (including movies) and music transmitted over the hotel network.

The upgrade of almost 11,000 rooms represents the first major hotel brand to rollout HD to such a large number of rooms. It is scheduled for completion in spring 2011 following the Holiday Inn brand relaunch and the introduction of Crowne Plaza's Sleep Advantage.