Today’s guests expect seamless connectivity wherever they stay. They also want to avoid annoying and frustrating Wi-Fi experiences. Unfortunately, most hotels struggle with poor Wi-Fi quality and inconsistent connections for their guests. This leads to a suboptimal guest experience and can have a negative impact on bookings, reviews, and word of mouth. To help hotels create the best possible Wi-Fi experience for their guests, many properties are implementing managed WiFi solutions in their hotels. Read on to learn more about managed WiFi services and how they can improve your hotel’s guest experience while reducing costs at the same time.
What is Managed WiFi?
When a hotel contracts with the provider of a managed WiFi service, it allows the provider to manage the hotel’s WiFi network. A managed WiFi service provider will typically install WiFi hotspots throughout the property, along with network management and analytics tools. These tools help the provider optimize the hotel’s WiFi network for more efficient performance. The hotel’s IT department continues to make all the strategic IT decisions for the hotel. However, the managed WiFi service provider manages the WiFi network and provides the hotel with support and service. Managed WiFi services are a form of managed IT services. This means that the hotel pays an annual fee to the provider to manage the WiFi service. In exchange, the provider provides help desk support, software, and other services that enable the hotel to manage and optimize the WiFi network. This is important because hotels have limited resources when it comes to managing their IT infrastructure. Even large properties that have a full-time IT department don’t have the time, manpower, and expertise to manage every aspect of their IT systems. This is why hotels choose to outsource their IT systems to managed service providers.
How Managed WiFi Can Improve Your Guest Experience
The guest experience is critical for hotels and the hospitality industry. If guests have a bad experience, they are less likely to return and may leave negative reviews. This can have a big impact on bookings and revenue. Managed WiFi is one of the key components that can help create a positive guest experience. Guests expect reliable and consistent WiFi, along with fast speeds, when they stay in a hotel. Since most hotels struggle with poor WiFi, guests are often disappointed in their experience. Managed WiFi can help solve these issues and improve the guest experience in the following ways:
- More consistent WiFi: When the hotel’s WiFi network is managed, the provider is able to increase the stability and consistency of the network. This is especially helpful in large properties with lots of guests.
- Faster speeds: Hotels that use a managed WiFi service can often offer faster WiFi speeds and performance than hotels that don’t have a managed WiFi solution. This is because the provider is able to better optimize the network for performance.
- Improved guest satisfaction: When guests experience WiFi that is faster and more consistent, they are more likely to be satisfied with their experience. This means they are more likely to recommend the hotel to others and to return themselves.
Why is Good WiFi so Important?
Poor WiFi is one of the biggest complaints in hotels. It can also have a significant impact on revenue if guests have bad experiences and are not satisfied with their stay. Managed WiFi helps hotels to improve their If guests are unhappy with the WiFi in a hotel, they may:
- Leave early: Guests may not want to stay in a hotel where they can’t get the work done that they need to get done. This can lead to early departures and lost revenue.
- Complain: Sometimes unhappy guests will voice their complaints on review websites, social media, and other places, which can impact revenue.
- Stay at a different hotel next time: If guests have a bad experience in a hotel, they are less likely to return. This has a significant impact on revenue.
- Avoid the hotel chain in general: If a guest has a bad experience with the WiFi at one hotel, they may decide to avoid any hotel chain in the future. This can have a huge negative impact on revenue.
- Avoid booking with the hotel chain in general: If a guest has a bad experience with the WiFi at one hotel, they may decide to avoid booking with the chain altogether. This can have a huge negative impact on revenue.
Examples of Managed WiFi Services
- Managed WiFi: When a hotel contracts with the provider of a managed WiFi service, the provider manages the WiFi network. They also provide help desk support, software, and other services that enable the hotel to manage and optimize the WiFi network. Managed WiFi is the most robust managed WiFi service. It includes the installation of WiFi hotspots throughout the property, along with network management and analytics tools. Managed WiFi services help hotels to improve the performance of their WiFi network. This is important because hotels have limited resources when it comes to managing their IT infrastructure. Even large properties that have a full-time IT department don’t have the time, manpower, and expertise to manage every aspect of their IT systems. This is why hotels choose to outsource their IT systems to managed service providers.
- WiFi as a Service (WaaS): When a hotel contracts with the provider of a WaaS service, the provider manages the WiFi network. They also provide help desk support, software, and other services that enable the hotel to manage and optimize the WiFi network. WaaS is less robust than managed WiFi, but it is easier to implement. This means that hotels can get started with WaaS more quickly than with managed WiFi. WaaS is a good option for hotels that are just starting to look at improving their WiFi. It is a lower-cost option than managed WiFi, which makes it a good option for hotels that need the basics, but don’t have a huge budget to work with.
How to Find the Right Managed Service for Your Hotel
However, there are a few things you can do to make the selection process easier.
- Assess your needs: Before you begin shopping for a managed service provider, it’s important to assess your needs. This will help you identify the most important factors and make it easier to compare different providers. You can use the following list to help you assess your needs and identify the most important factors:
- Coverage: How much coverage do you need? This will depend on the size of your property. Smaller properties with fewer rooms may only need coverage in the public areas, while larger properties with lots of rooms may need WiFi in every room.
- Guest Experience: What level of quality do you want to provide for your guests? This will help you identify the level of performance you need from your provider.
- Budget: How much can you invest in your WiFi network? This will help you narrow down your options and make it easier to find a good fit for your hotel.
- Shop around: Once you’ve assessed your needs and identified the most important factors, you’ll want to start shopping for providers.
- It is important to research providers and talk with multiple providers. This is the best way to make sure you're making an informed decision.
- You can begin your research by searching online and asking people you know if they have recommendations. You can also ask your IT department or other employees if they are familiar with any providers.
Wrapping up
When you decide it’s time for your hotel to offer better WiFi for your guests, you’ll need to select the right managed service. This can seem like an overwhelming task, especially if you’ve never managed an IT infrastructure before. Managed WiFi performance and service, which in turn can improve guest satisfaction and the length of stay. This, in turn, has a positive impact on revenue.
