Hoteliers adopt managed WiFi to drive brand loyalty and revenue

Your hotel’s WiFi network is a vital cornerstone of your operations and the guest experience. More than ever, you are challenged to provide high-speed, consistent connectivity with enough bandwidth to meet the needs of your increasingly connected guests.

In the past, the primary WiFi concern among hoteliers was simply providing reliable connectivity for guests and conference attendees. Today, many hotels are transforming their public spaces to attract both guests and non-guests, increasing the pressure to deliver higher-performing WiFi experiences to all visitors.

To meet these growing bandwidth demands and minimize the time staff spends on troubleshooting and maintenance, hotels are turning to fully managed WiFi solutions that include installation, service and support, which ensures high-quality connectivity. A fully managed solution enables your staff to focus on providing high-touch, hyper-personalized guest experiences that differentiate your hotel, build loyalty and increase revenue.

Guests and event attendees require quality WiFi

Most of your guests remain online throughout their stay. They research local attractions, make dinner reservations, check email, post pictures on social media and stream video on mobile devices. So, it should come as no surprise that WiFi is the top influencing factor when evaluating a hotel.¹ Slow, unreliable WiFi ranks as the top technology complaint from guests (51.6%).² As a result, the hotels offering fast, free WiFi and dependable internet access, with bandwidth capable of supporting multiple connected devices, are best positioned to earn return visits.

70% of travelers in the U.S. expect the “perfect” hotel to offer fast WiFi.³

Quality WiFi is imperative for events as well. Attendees, exhibitors, vendors and contractors expect your WiFi to be omnipresent, secure and strong. The rise in hybrid meetings and events adds another layer of complexity. Look for that trend to continue: In 2024, 24% of event planners had a virtual event on the books, while 41% (a jump of 8% from 2022) scheduled a hybrid event.⁴

As the formats of events become more diverse, you should prepare to manage growing fluctuation in demand for network bandwidth. Group business can pose unique challenges for WiFi networks because short-term bandwidth needs can vary by hundreds or thousands of Mbps, depending on the type of event and peak usage. You may, for instance, require bandwidth increases during sessions with a lot of video streaming or at conference break times when visitors want to check their email and messages. A flexible managed WiFi solution allows you to allocate the appropriate bandwidth, manage network traffic and support group sign-ins.

Guests and event attendees expect a seamless connectivity experience as they move throughout the property — from guest room to hallway to fitness center to restaurant. This expectation poses challenges for hotels with thick concrete walls or those attempting to retrofit legacy systems to accommodate these new connectivity demands. You may have hundreds of devices accessing your network concurrently. The more devices, the greater the strain on the network, slowing network speeds or creating outages. Flawless connectivity is essential when just one negative connectivity experience can result in losing a guest and their lifetime of revenue and referral business.

Beyond current applications, hotels are beginning to implement more guest-facing mobile apps, AI, beacon technology and Internet of Things (IoT) features such as device-connected thermostats, TVs and light switches. Hotels with a managed WiFi solution that can segregate and tier traffic and provide bandwidth flexibility are best positioned to adapt to these technological advances while providing consistent coverage and a seamless user experience.

New types of guests drive new revenue opportunities

Where and how people work continues to evolve, putting pressure on hotels to keep up if they hope to meet the needs of today’s increasingly hybrid worker. A 2023 Deloitte survey revealed that 34% of adults rely on a hybrid work arrangement, splitting time between in-office and remote locations.⁵ In many cases, hotels are being used as adjunct workspaces, with all signs suggesting this new normal is not going away anytime soon. The preference for an even blend of remote and in-person work rose from 21% in 2022 to 28% in 2023,⁶ and hybrid workers expressed higher job satisfaction than other workers.⁷ At nearly 60%, the proportion of Generation Z workers considering a move to hybrid work is also worth noting.⁸ Hotels must be ready to deliver the experience these flexible workers expect — whether they’re staying on-site or simply using the hotel property as a convenient workplace. The importance of secure, reliable, ubiquitous WiFi will only grow as these hybrid visitors spend more time at your hotel and in more spaces across your property.

The rise in bleisure travel, a trend in which travelers tack on vacation days to work trips, represents another opportunity for today’s hoteliers. Allied Market Research estimates the global bleisure market will more than double to $731 billion globally by 2032 from $315 billion in 2022.⁹ It is easy to see why when you consider the popularity of such blended travel. One study of global business travelers found that 89% want to add a vacation day to their business trips.¹⁰ Approximately 60% of all U.S. business trips turn into bleisure trips.¹¹

That can translate to meaningful revenue for hotels, given that 82% of travelers stay at the same place for both the business and leisure portions of their trip.¹² According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, technology will play a more critical role than ever when it comes to meeting the needs of this growing category of travelers and the hotel staff tasked with serving them.¹³

89% of global business travelers want to add a vacation day to their business trips.¹⁴

Managed WiFi creates operational efficiency

Reliable, secure WiFi represents a foundational requirement in many of the hotel industry’s key goals and initiatives. In the 2023 Lodging Technology Study, 100% of hoteliers surveyed said they currently offer or plan to add mobile check-in, mobile key and mobile reservations.¹⁵ Hotel leaders also indicated that their top two technology initiatives included driving guest loyalty (80%) and increasing employee productivity (76%).¹⁶ These goals demand safe, dependable connectivity, underscoring the importance of a fully managed WiFi solution.

Many hoteliers have learned that enterprise-grade WiFi equipment is expensive, requiring annual licensing fees and costly support. The increasing proliferation of devices requires continuous investment in updates to your wireless network and other technology infrastructure, as well as maintenance and staff training. By choosing a fully managed WiFi solution, you will have instant access to the latest equipment, software and upgrades.

When you manage your own network, your staff is responsible for system design, installation, maintenance and repairs. Self-management might require constant tweaking of coverage areas, access points and bandwidth, along with firmware updates to keep the WiFi working well. With a managed WiFi provider, you no longer spend time and resources on network architecture and support issues. Instead, you can focus on determining which technology solutions will bring you closer to your service and revenue goals.

A managed WiFi solution allows team members to run daily operations on mobile devices, increasing productivity. It also enables data-intensive mobile applications so your staff can track key performance indicators from anywhere on your property and optimize staffing levels in real time, based on demand. With a fully managed WiFi solution, you enable staff to spend less time on IT and administrative tasks and more time on high-value activities that generate loyalty and revenue, such as providing personalized services for guests.

Offer a satisfying experience with a managed solution

Guests, non-guests and staff alike expect high-speed WiFi access with a secure, stable and powerful network. Trying to save money by continuing to use an aging infrastructure or attempting a “do-it-yourself” upgrade approach is fraught with challenges and risks. A managed WiFi solution delivered over a reliable fiber network ensures your guests and staff never experience dead zones, deploying the optimal number of access points to maximize coverage and enough bandwidth to match demand day or night.

In addition, a managed solution can be customized to your unique business requirements. It can seamlessly integrate with your property management system and enable you to provide more proactive customer service because staff is not spending time on IT troubleshooting. Hotel management can monitor network traffic and analyze usage to make evidence-based decisions for future IT investments. The right solution can also support hotel branding with customized landing pages, growing and strengthening customer loyalty.

Spectrum Enterprise® is the right partner

Spectrum Enterprise Managed WiFi is a turnkey, fully managed solution that is ready to meet your current and future needs. Drawing on in-depth industry knowledge and vast hospitality experience, Spectrum Enterprise builds reliable networks that allow you to:

• Deliver a highly reliable, fast connectivity experience.
• Meet changing bandwidth demands as they arise.
• Gain peace of mind with a partner that continuously monitors and supports your network 24/7/365.
• Move from a capital to an operating expenditure model, paying a small, predictable monthly fee as opposed to expensive upfront equipment costs.
• Maintain brand standards and even reinforce your brand with customized splash pages and guest landing pages.
• Capture new revenue streams from non-guests, group travelers and events.

Let Spectrum Enterprise help you exceed the WiFi expectations of your guests, non-guests and staff by providing your property with fast, resilient connectivity. Investing in a flexible, managed WiFi solution enables you to capitalize on current and emerging revenue sources by ensuring consistent connectivity across your property and for every visitor. Managed WiFi from Spectrum Enterprise leads to more satisfied guests, delighted visitors, engaged employees, increased brand loyalty and additional revenue.

Learn more

Sources

1. “2024 Outlook: Travel Intent & Consumer Preferences,” Morning Consult, January 2024.

2. “Undeniable Need for Robust WiFi Dominates Survey Insights,” Hotel Management, June 12, 2023.

3. “The Latest US Hospitality Survey Unveils Future Travel Trends,” Hospitality Net, May 3, 2024.

4. Victoria Akinsowon, “10 Event Industry Trends You Must Know in 2024,” Cvent, January 19, 2024.

5. Jana Arbanas, Paul H. Silverglate, Susanne Hupfer, Jeff Loucks, Prashant Raman and Michael Steinhart, “Hybrid Workers Seek the Best of In-Office and Remote Work,” Deloitte, September 6, 2023.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. “Great Expectations: Making Hybrid Work Work,” Microsoft WorkLab, March 16, 2022.

9. “Bleisure Travel Market to Reach $731.4 Billion, Globally, by 2032 at 8.9% CAGR: Allied Market Research,” Allied Market Research, May 17, 2023.

10. “Report: Hotels Continue Moving Toward Recovery in 2022,” American Hotel & Lodging Association, January 24, 2022.

11. “77+ Bleisure Travel Statistics [Updated 2022],” Stratos, January 24, 2022.

12. “3 Key Factors in Bleisure Travel Hotel Choice,” Global Business Travel Association, July 20, 2022.

13. “Report: Hotels Continue Moving Toward Recovery In 2022,” American Hotel & Lodging Association, January 24, 2022.

14. Ibid.

15. “Lodging Technology Study – Embracing Mobility & Self-Service,” Hospitality Technology, January 18, 2023.

16. Michal Christine Escobar, “HTF 2023: HT Debuts Revamped 2024 Lodging Technology Study,” Hospitality Technology, December 18, 2023.