iPhone 5 hurting hotels - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

iPhone 5 hurting hotels

By: Kate Pabich
kpabich@cbs4qc.com

They say it's the biggest thing to happen to the iPhone, since the iPhone. But, some of the changes that make the iPhone 5 unique, are also causing headaches for hotel owners.

In April the Radisson in Davenport spent $18,000 getting iHomes for each of their 200 rooms, iHomes that are no longer compatible with the new iPhone 5. Something the Davenport GM, Samie Bazuzi didn't expect to happen when he installed the speaker systems.

The iPhone 5's new "lightning connector" is 80% smaller than their other phones and iPods. There are adaptors the hotel could buy, but Bazuzi says it's just too expensive.

"It's about 30 a piece which is about a cost of the unit that's in the room so it's pretty expensive."

Another problem, you can't secure the adaptors to the iHomes, meaning you can't stop guests from stealing them.

But it's not just the Davenport Radisson that's now suddenly out of date, it's all Radisson's. It was the new standard Radisson Corporation required. And that means a lot of money, since the Davenport location is only one of 146 Radisson's.