HotelChatter

TuneHotels was founded by a team of brilliant people led by Tony Fernandes (the founder of LCC AirAsia) and Tune Hotels CEO, Mark Lankester.  Mark and his team are some of the most innovative travel product development folks in Malaysia.  Hat's off to them for a job well done creating and delivering the TuneHotels concept.

The whole idea with TuneHotels is to give you the basic essentials you need in a hotel experience, allowing you to add features as you desire them, on an a la carte basis.

Conceptually, I think we all "get it" that everybody's ideal travel experience is a tailored one, it's just that most people can't afford to custom-tailor to their ideal level.  So, needless to say, product development and execution are key to creating a product that hits the sweet spot.

This hotel is a little different than other comparables I've experienced (like the Pod hotel in New York City or capsules in Tokyo), because there are lower rates and more a la carte services offered, in addition to ensuite bathrooms.

The ceilings here also are a good 14 feet tall, so you don't feel cramped at all. The mini-integrated LCDs I do miss...From what I am told, there now are also a bunch of cities around Malaysia that now have TuneHotels, which makes the brand go a lot further....after this experience, I'd definitely give them all a try.

WHAT YOU GET

· A good bed: comfortable & new
· A good bathroom: they dub it the "power shower"
· A good location: you're minutes away from any downtown location you might need to get to, including the Petronas towers. There are taxis and shuttles that leave from the hotel to the airport.
· A great rate: Your stay is subsidized by living in one giant advertisement!  It's really cool and absolutely genius from a business standpoint. By disconnecting the "frills" and making them available a la carte and subsidizing with highly creative advertisements, your stay is both exciting and CHEAP. Just like airfare, if you book in advance and during off-peak times, you can find some really incredible bargains.
· Amazing Service for the price: The brand is a cool, hip brand and the people who work for TuneHotels definitely do their part to make the experience. Everybody I've met so far acts like a concierge at the Four Seasons, without the waiting in line or requisite $50 gratuities.

WHAT YOU DON'T GET (or What You Pay Extra For):

· Simple amenities: A towel, soap, shampoo, etc. (available at from desk for RM5)
· Electricity for the A/C: It's available on a stored-value card in 5 or 12 blocks RM4.99, RM9.99
· A telephone: SIM cards for your GSM cell readily available nearby. Or use Skype over WiFi
· Wireless internet: 802.11 throughout building. You prepay blocks of hours at check-in or throughout your stay as needed)
· A chair to work at: The room is not really large enough, so to use the flipout laptop desk, you sit on the end of the bed.
· Room Service: McDonalds advertises in-room, above-the-bed a 24-hr delivery number with no minimum order (if you don't have a SIM card for your cell, just walk to the front desk and they will order). There are also a couple of restaurants and a Subway sandwich and a 7-11 in the lobby. (I have suggested that Mark build a web interface on the 802.11 for a la carte ordering...)
· More power outlets: There is just 1 outlet (220-240V), so I bought a power-strip to charge all of my devices.
· TV or Radio: As an interactive entertainment guy, the one thing I am disappointed by is that there isn't a slick touchscreen that plays ads when you come in and then charges you for every a la carte service. But, this is a no-frills hotel, so isn't this what the genius's at Apple invented the iPod for? Slingbox would be cool if bandwidth wasn't (unfortunately) a limiting factor.Skype VoIP and Windows Media Player both check fine.