What is the one hotel amenity that guests can't live without?

“The one hotel amenity that guests can’t live without is WiFi.” That’s a direct quote from the J.D. Power 2022 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study, published in July of this year. In that same study, J.D. Power reports that a large majority (81%) of guests access the internet during their hotel stays, bringing more devices with them and subsequently using them for more resource-intensive online activities. As a result, some existing hotel networks are being stretched to their breaking points. 

It’s no secret that WiFi and a modernized high-capacity digital infrastructure have become indispensable assets for hoteliers. In a recent article in Hotel Business, that publication advised: “Your WiFi service is more than an amenity. As something that can add significant economic value to your hotel now and in years to come, a strong internet network can be one of your company’s most durable assets. Like any asset, your hotel network is an investment of time and money. Yielding the highest return means you need a digital infrastructure that is ready to support your network’s bandwidth demands today and tomorrow.”

People are dependent on their devices — not to mention new gaming systems, which often accompany traveling families. All these devices require strong WiFi to operate optimally, which is best delivered over a modern, high-capacity network infrastructure. That infrastructure must be secure and scalable as well, to ensure that hoteliers can offer the proper WiFi speed and coverage in years to come, as guests will only become more demanding in their bandwidth requirements.

According to Hospitality Technology, “While some travelers will opt to visit the front desk on arrival depending on the property, the vast majority have quickly adopted the contactless check-in technology that was frequently requested prior to the pandemic.” Online check-in, mobile check-in and keyless entries all make for a better guest experience, but they all add a further strain on WiFi resources.

Voice, video and network traffic grow daily as vacationers and business travelers alike feel the need to connect anytime, anywhere from any device. Guests will seek out hotels that offer services like the 200+ channels available from TV Streaming Access for Hospitality and strong WiFi, with 87% saying they would be less likely to book a hotel with bad Internet speed scores.

How a modernized network can improve a hotel’s revenues, reputation and operations

Some hotels have made the leap and use their network infrastructure to ensure all systems within the hotel are connected and sharing information. At its most basic level, this helps hoteliers in a challenging labor market to manage day-to-day operations with a reduced staff, as many repetitive and time-consuming back-office activities can be automated.   

Beyond operational efficiency gains, connecting hotel apps and systems can create a simpler tech stack, which helps to smooth the way for future changes, additions and upgrades. It also lessens laborious data transfer for hoteliers seeking a complete picture of the marketing, sales, and operational systems that impact a property’s revenue strategy. The best way to see a holistic view of a given property is to utilize a high-capacity network that can bring all internal systems under one infrastructure umbrella.

One factor that may prevent a hotel from achieving an interconnected view of its solutions is a weak WiFi network that can’t handle the full bandwidth requirements of key technology applications. Hoteliers need to ensure that they have adequate network resources in place to meet specific platform connectivity requirements. Further, they must confirm the availability of enough bandwidth to handle system traffic and WiFi to handle guests' needs — securely and separately. 

Demand for events and conferences driving revenues helping hotels rebound

Demand for events and conferences continues to skyrocket, and Internet access and supporting network needs are crucial components of event success. Indeed, WiFi can be the deciding factor in meeting attendee satisfaction. 

Hoteliers need to capitalize on the revenue that conferences and events can represent for their properties. For the WiFi and bandwidth considerations surrounding events, Hospitality Technology suggests outsourcing for network revision and modernization and continues that “outsourcing to a trusted network provider can help hotels avoid potential risks and capitalize on all contracted revenue, while also reducing the workload on onsite staff.” The publication points out that a network partner means that the “hard work of network redesign, including the installation of new switches, firewalls, fiber optic cabling as well as the re-positioning of access points to ensure excellent coverage and connectivity” will be taken care of by the partner, and not by the hotel’s already overworked IT staff.

Events and conferences mean business travelers. With the resurgence in bleisure travel, the hospitality industry can also adapt and build revenues by offering new services and amenities that make it easy for business travelers to move from work to fun.

How Spectrum Enterprise can help

Spectrum Enterprise is transforming networking and WiFi for hotels and resorts. Delivered over the Cisco Meraki platform, Managed Network Edge for Hospitality enhances your team’s efficiency while also helping you improve your guests’ experience. We provide hospitality partners of all sizes with a powerful platform including security and routing, local network switching, network management, and WiFi for both guests and staff that is purpose-built for you — all in one end-to-end managed solution. This is a turnkey, wireless access solution that includes fully customizable design, installation and operation of wireless infrastructure, ensuring superior security with high-quality connectivity.

Learn more about how to simplify your network with a single platform, designed for hospitality, with a partner who understands your industry.