How independent hotels can make smart technology choices

Independent hotel operators face many challenges when it comes to attracting guests and enticing them to become repeat visitors. Large hospitality chains dominate traveler mindshare, while the growth in the online marketing of private residences for short-term rentals continues to attract customers. Now independent hotels have something else to worry about: sub-par WiFi.

In a recent survey conducted jointly by Spectrum Enterprise and Hotel Management, “slow, unreliable WiFi” was the leading guest complaint, reported by over half (51.6%) of hotel managers. Free WiFi is a misplaced priority; respondents now say guests prefer paying for WiFi as long as it meets their expectations.

Since the problem exists across the hospitality industry, it does present entrepreneurial independent operators with this opportunity: Invest in better WiFi service for positive competitive differentiation.

There are many ways an independent hotel operator can use WiFi and other technology-sourced innovations as service differentiators, offering a unique guest experience that engages, delights and sets the stage for many happy returns.

Smart tourism and the rise of bleisure

One of the first such steps independent hotel managers can take is investing in “bleisure,” or travelers’ growing willingness to mix business and pleasure. More people today maximize opportunities to combine working trips with tag-on vacations. Accommodating this blend of business and leisure pursuits is an opportunity independent hotel operators are well positioned to capitalize on.

Larger chains are often structured to attract either traditional business travelers by emphasizing streamlined efficiency, or else family-focused pure recreational stays. A smaller independent can market more to the mean, being agile in the ways they integrate recreation opportunities around business visits and vice versa.

Think, for example, about maximizing in-room connectivity around fiber and Managed WiFi. This measure will allow for a smoother network experience so working guests are not hindered by connectivity issues or dead spots when arranging for day trips, extended travel plans or nights on the town. In short, independent hotels should think about how to cater to guests who want to be more independent.

Embracing managed services in general is a clear way independent hotels can exceed the high expectations of today’s traveler. By leaving critical service needs in the hands of a capable and motivated team of expert technicians, hotel IT staffs can focus more on ways to enrich the guest experience and enhance value.

Powerful managed-service platforms are being built specifically for hotel operators. Solutions like Managed Network Edge for Hospitality offer strong security, cohesive network management and enhanced WiFi that gives bleisure-minded guests the control they want, and increasingly expect, over their hotel experience. 

A tool for taking control

Technology matters more than ever to the hotel experience regardless of size, whether it be the incorporation of keyless room entry, television casting or checking in via smartphone. 

One important technological innovation for hotels is the property management system (PMS). A PMS allows hotel IT staff to more efficiently run day-to-day operations from a single point of control by leveraging critical data about such things as guest preferences, occupancy and length of stays.

While independent hotels seem better structured to set up such systems, it is an area where Oracle in a 2022 report notes independent hotels experience real difficulty.

The report includes survey results showing 42% of independent hoteliers cite poor data integration as their biggest technology pain point. Nearly a third further view the need to improve PMS data integration as a high priority.

To ensure their hotel PMS properly manages the bounty of Big Data at optimal speed, many independents invest in the scalability and reliability of Dedicated Fiber Internet (DFI). A fiber-based ultra-high speed solution can also be incorporated into improving a hotel’s WiFi solution.

In the last few years, Arlo Hotels has built three successful boutique hotels in Manhattan. Each of these employ an agile, lean strategy using FIA-backed connectivity to give travelers a more seamless guest experience. While Arlo Hotels competes head-on with the world’s biggest hotel chains, they have translated an independent spirit and a healthy embrace of technology into a customer-first strategy and formula for success.

Using the cloud as a marketing ally

One recognized drawback for most independent hotels is the lack of a nationally (or globally) recognized brand identity. But in recent years, this has been less decisive a factor in determining hospitality success.

Booking apps increasingly dictate check-in opportunities for hotels, allowing travelers to find optimal accommodations at prices that work for them, regardless of the name over the check-in desk.

“With more brands, distribution channels and availability, people are making decisions based on a whole array of factors other than brands. This technology is a primary contributor to why independents are able to navigate competitive markets.”

One area where innovative independent hotels manage these distribution channels is with the support of cloud services. By setting up a cloud service with their PMS, independent hotels can capture up-to-date information on fluctuating conditions like room availability and rates, in a manner suited to the fast-moving attentions of would-be guests.

Cloud access must be considered when choosing an edge solution, where the rich potential of cloud services can be leveraged safely into an independent hotel’s total operations. Managed Network Edge’s Virtual Edge enhancement delivers simple and secure connectivity to essential hospitality applications by leveraging the power of leading cloud services.

Making it work for guests

Ultimately, hospitality technology is best deployed when it blends control with comfort, focusing on offering a customized, personalized experience that gives guests control with the comfort of knowing their individual needs are understood and being met.

Independent hotels are ideally positioned to strike this balance, and in doing so, leverage technology solutions in ways that work best for them and for their guests.

About Spectrum Enterprise

Spectrum Enterprise offers complete, secure and scalable networking solutions for independent hotels. Spectrum Enterprise provides technology solutions to over 95% of the top hotel brands in the United States. Learn more about how to simplify your network with a single platform, designed for hospitality, with a partner who understands your industry.