Does Your Hotel Wi-Fi Meet All Your Guest’s Needs?

Hotel owners are often challenged, by budget constraints, to make decisions about how to maximize technology spending to best serve their guests. They are frequently forced to choose between guest technology such as Wi-Fi and mobile apps. Sometimes, they are even forced to ignore the back of the house altogether to keep up with guest expectations.

Keeping a finger on the pulse of your hospitality establishment can be the differentiator that puts you ahead of the competition in delivering guests nothing but the best. Whether you’re the owner of a small boutique hotel, or a hotelier of one of the world’s largest chains, it’s essential to get it right first-time, because there might not be a second chance to make a first impression.

Like a comfortable bed and a really good cup of coffee (or tea if that’s your thing), great Wi-Fi and good hotel apps still rank high among guest expectations, a fact not lost on hotel operators. According to a recent ALE Digital Journey survey of hoteliers, guest Wi-Fi, CRM/loyalty and customer-facing mobile apps were identified as top investments for digi­tal transformation. Further, an overwhelming 99% of the survey respondents identified guest Wi-Fi as the top technology upgrade to be rolled out by 2020.

Ensure the solution provides enough bandwidth for in-room wired and wireless devices so that guests don’t have to compete for quality access High quality video streaming, VoIP and mobile devices are a reality, so throughput is essential Access Points (APs) aesthetics are important; APs can’t be too big, invasive or disruptive to guests in rooms or in lobbies; and they need to be ruggedized for outdoor spaces The solution needs to handle high-density areas such as lobbies, conference rooms and restaurants and be rugged enough for exterior spaces From the moment your guest steps through the door, and even before, a Wi-Fi solution for hospitality should deliver the transparent, seamless, secure network your guests deserve.

A Wi-Fi solution that lets you manage access points directly from a web browser is exactly the kind of simplicity required for a small hotel. Access points that can be automatically added, with simple wireless access setup, including who can have access, when, where and for how long, all through a guest management portal can provide a competitive edge for smaller establishments.

For larger hospitality environments, unified network management with a single dashboard for both your LAN and WLAN, can save you time and money. It ensures secure mobility, provides smart analytics on your network activity, lets you manage access for guests and employees and it lets you scale quickly and easily.

There’s no doubt that a great hotel Wi-Fi solution is a clear win for your guests, your employees and for you. When your guest’s stay is more comfortable and your employee’s job is easier, your business wins with:

• Increased efficiency with mobile apps that streamline everything from check-in to check-out and enhance communications between staff
• Improved safety with security built-in to the WLAN to provide better protection against network threats introduced by the Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile devices
• Higher revenues and lower costs with location-based services that can point guests to the restaurant and the spa, generate more business and increase customer loyalty as well as simplify operations

It doesn’t matter if you are big or small, everyone wants the best for their guest. The keystone to providing seamless mobility across your establishment is the wireless LAN. Maybe you are a standalone boutique hotel, or a large multi-site facility hosting large hospitality events, or maybe you land somewhere in-between. No matter your size, the Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess® Stellar WLAN range of solution offers enterprise-grade features with consumer-grade simplicity, at an affordable price. From entry-level, to mid-range, to high-range, for indoor and outdoor, our access points have got you covered.

Find out more about how the right Wi-Fi solution for hospitality can help improve staff productivity, increase efficiency, lower TCO and help you keep track of your return on investment, all while providing guests with a better mobile experience.