GuestCast Named In-room Entertainment Solution of the Year by 2023 TravelTech Breakthrough Awards
Innovative content streaming solution purpose-built for hotels earns recognition for addressing guest demands for a user-friendly, instantly personalized and secure in-room entertainment experience.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — May 16, 2023 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, is today proud to announce its winning of a TravelTech Breakthrough Award for its GuestCast streaming solution. With more than 1,250 organizations nominated for this year’s Awards, GuestCast’s cutting-edge design and features ensured its place as the winner of the in-room entertainment solution of the year category, representing the industry’s latest capabilities in addressing the modern content viewing preferences of today’s hotel guests.
Key to GuestCast being selected over competing solutions is its ability to ensure effortless and straightforward interaction, even for first-time users or for guests who are unfamiliar with content casting technology. In contrast to other platforms that often require guests to complete a series of complicated steps to connect their personal devices to a guestroom TV, GuestCast’s device-pairing process is as easy as scanning a QR code and sidesteps the risk of guests experiencing frustration. With hotels frequently catering to guests traveling from around the world, GuestCast’s instant compatibility with thousands of mobile streaming apps also ensures that each guest can personalize viewing experiences in line with their unique preferences.
“The hospitality industry has struggled to keep pace with evolving guest expectations when it comes to in-room entertainment, so we are absolutely thrilled that our peers recognize the tremendous value and potential that GuestCast represents in fully addressing this service gap,” said Gary Patrick, CEO of Hotel Internet Services.”GuestCast’s industry-leading capabilities are the result of countless hours of research and development performed to devise a solution that mirrors the personalization and ease-of-use guests encounter when streaming at home. We are very proud of the hard work and commitment of our team members in creating a solution that lives up to modern guest standards, especially as more travelers weigh booking decisions on the ability to easily and securely access their own content streaming subscriptions.”
As a solution engineered specifically for the hotel guestroom, GuestCast ensures confidence and trust with using the platform by incorporating enhanced security measures. This includes eliminating concerns over the potential theft of usernames and passwords, as well as advanced device isolation capabilities that prevent guests from inadvertently casting content to TVs located in other guestrooms. To ensure a seamless adoption process and hassle-free device management, GuestCast is also compatible with virtually any television model and internet network in use by today’s hotels.
Yet another unique advantage provided by GuestCast is its high-value Analytics Dashboard. Via a single interface, hoteliers can leverage the dashboard to monitor individual device health in order to ensure consistent high-performance quality. The GuestCast Analytics Dashboard also offers actionable real-time insight into devise usage trends, allowing hotel businesses to gauge the success rate of in-room entertainment strategies. Hoteliers can even leverage the Dashboard to monitor WiFi service quality for each guestroom, ensuring that any performance issues are quickly identified and resolved before guest experiences are affected.
For more information about the full range of technology solutions available from Hotel Internet Services, please contact Shelly Chandler at 866-265-7575 Ext. 737 or email shelly@hotelwifi.com.
If you’re still alive, it means that you’ve been more right than wrong. If something feels off or doesn’t seem like the right decision, it’s likely you’re right and it probably is off and it probably isn’t the right decision. Don’t place implicit trust in another just because they’ve been doing something longer than you have. Tenure doesn’t always equal competence, so you have to find a balance between trusting others and trusting yourself.
As a part of our series about cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Trevor Dowswell.
For the past seven years, Trevor Dowswell has been the Chief Technology Officer at Hotel Internet Services, a multi-national enterprise networking and software development company. He directly oversees all product architecture and technology adoption and implementation for the company.
Trevor is a specialist in the architecture and configuration of converged, large-enterprise wired and wireless networks. He is a Cisco-certified engineer who has personally directed the installation of hundreds of public access WiFi networks, as well as large-scale video-on-demand and IPTV systems.
Additionally, he is a specialist in public access and hospitality authentication systems and network security, a web designer and Ruby developer, and has years of experience in top tier support, troubleshooting obscure issues with advanced and complex networks.
On top of his technical experience, Trevor is a published writer and editor, and previous to his involvement in the tech industry, worked extensively in marketing, live audio/visual, and the motion picture industry. He uses this textured background to provide fresh insight and vision into product design and rollout across Hotel Internet Services’ many verticals and brands, enabling the company to set new industry trends.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I had been managing a post-production audio studio for movies and TV in Burbank, California for a few years, and it was, in general, rewarding, creative and interesting. I had the opportunity to work on some great projects with all manner of intriguing people, from Jim Cameron to Carmen Electra. However, I had started to feel like I was hitting a ceiling in both my career and financially, so I was on the lookout for something new.
I struck up a conversation on social media with an old friend from high school, and she just happened to be hiring for someone to coordinate their web development and installations. I had only scratched the surface of web development at USC years prior and knew virtually nothing about enterprise computer networking. However, I love a challenge, so I thought “perfect” and jumped in head-first. I somehow managed to convince them that I could do the job, started a couple weeks later…and quickly went back to college on the evenings and weekends.
I happen to be a quick learner, so within six months, I surpassed our most experienced engineers and moved from a coordination role to Director of Installations, project managing all network projects and performing all advanced configuration, as well as bringing in-house our web development for all guest-facing properties.
Funnily, it wasn’t until I became the Director of Installations that I realized I had inadvertently followed in my father’s footsteps. For years, he worked as an Electrical Engineer for Motorola, overseeing the installation of the first wireless computer systems in police cars around the globe.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
This is perhaps the wrong sort of interesting, but it’s what popped to mind. I got a call from one of my install technicians, who I had sent to Brooklyn for a hotel Wi-Fi installation. He was standing outside of the property and was concerned that he wasn’t at the right location. It didn’t look like a hotel, there was no front desk, just a locked door and a tinted, bullet-proof window next to it with a little slot at the bottom. We double-checked the paperwork, verified the address with the account manager, and he was indeed at the correct location.
I told the technician to just to go and see if he can get in, scope it out, meet with the client, and find out what the deal is. He called me back a bit later. He had managed to get into the building and walk the site, and he was positive this wasn’t a hotel. When I asked him why, he said, “The door to every room was open and there were only mattresses on the floor and TVs playing pornographic content.”
This client had hired us to install a pay-for-use Wi-Fi system, so we spoke to him, trying to understand why he wanted Wi-Fi. Was it even going to be used? He told us a story about how they recently acquired the property and were going to upgrade and change things. So we went ahead and installed his network, assuming they were converting to a proper hotel.
We were not shocked when they later requested that we start charging for the Wi-Fi by the hour. We uninstalled that network pretty quick.
Can you tell us about the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
As a networking company, we’ve been working quite hard to create a seamless environment for apartments, student housing, senior living and hotels that ties together all of the disparate and disjointed internet-enabled technologies that exist in the market and makes them simple to use. We want a regular person to be able to walk into their apartment on move-in day, start our setup wizard, and within five minutes have their personal Wi-Fi network up and running, TV live and have a simple interface moving forward to manage any future devices they wish to onboard, including smart lights, cameras and appliances. Additionally, that private network they just created is instantly available no matter where they are on the property, not just in their apartment, with the same speeds and all the same features.
We are doing away with having to wait days, if not weeks, for underwhelming, overpriced internet to be activated, and which only provides the most basic services.
Our Wi-Fi is properly designed for full coverage in all areas, both living spaces and common areas, with enough bandwidth to satisfy the heaviest consumers, and it even provides features for more advanced internet users who need things such as static public IPs or who want to host LAN parties.
How do you think this might change the world?
I am a strong believer that technology should be used to augment and enhance the human experience, not supplant it. Thus, day-to-day technology should blend into the background, often forgotten and infrequently noticed. Therefore, the changes we expect might often feel intangible, such as less stress, more quality time, increased productivity, better focus on the things that matter.
The other factor is simply providing better internet to more people. We are becoming more and more reliant on the internet for both work and play, so one’s quality of life can be largely dependent on the quality of internet you have readily at your disposal.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks of this technology that people should think more deeply about?
I feel that every conversation about connecting all things to the internet warrants reflection on security. Every pathway out is theoretically a doorway in. Do I think you might stumble out to the kitchen one morning and have your toaster try to kill you? No, not likely. Could I envision someone hacking a surveillance account to determine when someone isn’t home so they could be robbed? Yes.
Security is everyone’s responsibility — the service providers, developers, hosting services, users. So everyone managing their piece of the pie correctly is critical in surviving the world of the Internet of (every)Thing.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
For some time, we have been able to create the networking environment to support a fully-managed, secure, simplistic internet experience, but the industry as a whole has just not been there. So there have been a few of us championing for the correct advancements and adoption of technology to make all of this possible, and that has been a slow climb for the past ten years. The final tipping-point was when a partner of ours was able to fully crack internet-delivery of bulk TV service. That was the final piece in the puzzle for creating the end-to-end solution that we felt was truly complete.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
FCC 22–12 (an FCC ruling from earlier this year to further promote competition in multi-tenant environments and to do away with internet and TV service provider exclusivity contracts that have stifled innovation) helps clear the way for opportunity. I feel like better managed internet and TV is an inevitability at this point. There are too many players demanding its existence, and it is the most logical path moving forward for building developers, owners, and managers.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
Our company is very keen on surveys. We like to know what people are actually thinking and doing out there, and we also love sharing that data with everyone. So we have put a lot of time in collecting information and opinions from thousands of real users, owners and managers regarding Wi-Fi, entertainment, and IoT, and our marketing team continually puts that data out using every channel they possibly can.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I would say that I would not be doing what I’m doing today without Rafael van den Berg, who built up the tech side of Hotel Internet Services during its infancy, is currently our Director of R&D, and was my first networking mentor. When I came in to interview all those years ago, I was only armed with random, disjointed pieces of data about networking that I had gleaned from Google searches over the previous two days. Rafael was the one who accessed my technical knowledge during the hiring process. Looking back, I truly knew nothing; my answers were an absolute joke. Rafael knew that I knew absolutely nothing, but he was willing to take a leap of faith, and I’m sure glad he did.
Since that time, we’ve built most of Hotel Internet Services’ products together. We are each other’s sounding boards, and I think having two people who can balance each other out and challenge each other is invaluable.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
In presentations, speeches, articles, conversations with clients, prospects, vendors, and competitors, I have always preached unity. Let’s all work together and build great things. There is already too much divisiveness in our world. We don’t need people throwing blame around; blame never solved a problem. What the world needs is simply good people, doing good things, making good products, and having a good time.
So I’ve tried to lead by example, as well as worked to actively inspire goodness. My wife and I flow a lot of energy towards people and groups who are helping others, helping the planet, and in general those striving to make big, positive impacts around the world.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Wow, this is a tough one. I’ll give it my best shot:
Everyone is Pretending
It’s not just you. A lot of people are still waiting for that ethereal moment when they suddenly become a grown up. Because I felt like I was pretending to be an adult, it took me a little while to realize that I knew more about my fields of expertise than any client or other vendor I spoke with. The moment I realized I was the authority of my field and that everyone else also felt like they were pretending, I fully owned every phone call and meeting. I was confident, decisive, and I could get things done.
Trust Your Instincts
If you’re still alive, it means that you’ve been more right than wrong. If something feels off or doesn’t seem like the right decision, it’s likely you’re right and it probably is off and it probably isn’t the right decision. Don’t place implicit trust in another just because they’ve been doing something longer than you have. Tenure doesn’t always equal competence, so you have to find a balance between trusting others and trusting yourself.
Following is Way Easier Than Creating
Creating the future, creating the vision and writing out the plans, getting agreement and cooperation, and pushing new projects from implementation through to completion is way, way harder than following a path that has already been paved. When you become an executive, or if you start your own company, you have to be willing to become your own power source. It takes a lot of mental fortitude, and it burns though so much mental energy.
Find a Really Good Rubber Duck
In software development, there is a practice called “rubberducking” where you debug your code by describing each function in normal language to a rubber duck (or your object of choice). This practice is just as effective in business as it is in programming. I don’t have an actual rubber duck on my desk, but I do have a person who will listen to whatever I have to say without judgement and who can often give me a unique perspective and sage advice. And sometimes you just need to get out of your head. Describing a problem to someone else often makes the solution spring to mind — sometimes just opening your mouth to start talking is enough to make the answer materialize.
Be Willing to be Wrong to be Right
It’s really hard to get anywhere substantial without being willing to just throw yourself out there and suffer the consequences, both good and bad. You have to be just as willing to be wrong as you are to be right, because if you’re never doing something because you might be wrong, then you are simply never doing anything. Sounds like 1st Grade logic. It probably is. But it’s true, so who cares.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Ha! That is a rather generous description of me, but I’ll roll with it.
I would say, be responsible. Whenever you’re at a crossroads where you can either take less responsibility or more, go with more. You can take baby steps. It doesn’t have to be huge every time. But if everyone gradually took just a little bit more responsibility for their health, for their emotions, for their child’s education, for their partner, for the quality of their products, for their company, for the effects of their actions on others and their environment, for making at least one person happier today, for that guy that no one else is letting into traffic, then we would collectively, eventually solve all world problems.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One I’ve used over and over is, “There are no such things as problems, only conversations.” And this is one I actually don’t just preach.
I did an experiment with this when I was working in building maintenance in my late teens. At the time, it seemed like every few days someone was mad at someone, and often, it was directed at me. I decided to see if I could resolve every upset simply with communication. For example, if a bathroom was out of service, could Inotfix it and then make everyone happy and able to move on just by talking to them? It worked 100% of the time.
However, you have to do it right. You have to actually fully communicate, meaning truly listen, understand and acknowledge the other side, and the intent of your communication needs to be to make them right, not wrong. I completely shocked a partner of a company I was working for a number of years ago with how powerful this is. He asked me to have a call with a client that was threatening legal action and had been quite nasty in their emails and letters. I got on the call, I listened, I told the client that they were right, we hadn’t delivered what was in the contract nor could we, that the contract was wrong, and laid out what we were actually able to do, and that was it. Afterward, the partner got with me and was just completely baffled. He said, “I don’t understand, no one yelled at you. They didn’t even seem upset. I don’t get it.”
It wasn’t a problem, it was simply a conversation.
Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Managed Wi-Fi, TV, and smart home is a market with significant growth. There are a number of players in the residential arena (Google, Samsung, Control4, etc.) with products well suited for single-family dwellings, but these products can start to fall apart in a multi-tenant environment. At the same time, property developers, owners and managers are fleeing from the behemoth service providers that have dominated this market for decades. Therefore, the market is primed for disruption and a significant “land grab” with a solution that integrates all of the strongest residential technology players together and provides a centralized interface to manage them from a property level, as well as a tenant level, and that’s what we’re offering with our product.
Since their initial introduction, IoT technologies have taken the hospitality industry by storm and have created much excitement over the limitless possibilities they offer. Even prior to the pandemic, as much as70 percent of hospitality executivesindicated the presence of at least one active IoT project at their properties. With much of the industry now recovered and welcoming guests back in large numbers, IoT adoption rates are only set to increase further as hoteliers strive to differentiate within an ever more competitive market.
Yet while many may be familiar with IoT benefits that can include heightened experience personalization, faster service response times and lower operating costs, fewer have a grasp on what it takes to ensure a successful solution rollout. For the unwary hotelier, IoT technology can represent several potential pitfalls if not adequately planned out that can lead to higher expense, frustrated guests and more work for already overstretched employees.
To sidestep any unwanted and likely costly surprises, today’s hotel businesses should always have a well thought out strategy they can rely on to obtain the results they set out to achieve. Applicable to hotels and resorts of any type and size, here are three key steps able to ensure an IoT platform deployment that always lives up to both hotel and guest expectations alike:
Step 1: Define the Desired Outcome and What Success Means
Regardless of industry, businesses can often jump towards IoT as something that must be adopted simply because it’s the ‘next big thing’ in increasing profits and standing out from the competition. However, moving forward with IoT using this kind of mindset more often than not leads to missed opportunities to maximize the improvement of operations. At its worst, it can also result in operations potentially grinding to a halt if insufficient research has been done to identify the possible implications of a solution’s adoption on existing systems and services.
Before even beginning to review their IoT technology options, hoteliers should first ensure that they have a clear picture of precisely what it is that they are looking to achieve. Is it a reduction in time it takes to complete service requests? Perhaps a mobile-enabled task management system might make for the best investment. Is a hotelier mostly concerned with reducing out of control utility costs? An IoT integration that can detect real-time room occupancy to automatically adjust in-room amenity settings could do much to lower monthly energy bills. If the idea is to ‘wow’ guests with a truly exceptional stay experience, technologies that can leverage mass data to make personalized service recommendations are now widely available.
Your hotel’s lobby is what makes the first impression, and the friendly faces behind the front desk welcome each visitor who comes in. You probably have some cozy places to sit and relax for weary travelers, light music filling the room, and let’s not forget the gorgeous amenities like the pool deck! All of that to say – there are many elements that go into making hotel guests feel at home.
However, there is so much more that goes into making a guest feel welcome in a hotel than just the lobby. Namely, a free and easily accessible wireless network. Making this a part of your business has become the gold standard in the hospitality industry. After all, you want to offer your customers what they desire, and what they want is a simple, strong, and secure hotel WiFi network. Here are a few things your hotel guests really want from their in-room WiFi network design:
Data Security
Many people are wary of connecting to hotel WiFi, especially in light of recent data breaches at major hotel chains and other public spaces around the world. With that in mind, you must ensure that guests feel secure using the current WiFi networks at your hotel. IT personnel must safeguard both guest and corporate WiFi networks against any threats.
Hotel chains need to safeguard client data such as guest devices on their networks, payment details in transit, and third-party vendor information. Hotel businesses must adhere to strict data security standards to continue operating securely, successfully, and lawfully. This is beneficial to your hotel’s image and will enhance the guest experience since they know that their data will be secure when connected to your hotel’s WiFi. While data security is a top priority for many, here at Hotel Internet Services, we use the Fusion Gateway to ensure the best security. It combines a Web Server, Firewall, Aggregator/Bonding Appliance, DHCP Server and Authentication Gateway all in one for fast and secure WiFi. You can trust that it is secure because the Deep
Speed
Guests are always on the go, and they need their internet connection to be just as quick. You’ll find that a fast WiFi signal will allow your guests to enjoy online browsing without interruption so they can connect with home or work quickly and easily!
We live in a world where people are dependent on their devices, and it seems like a new smartphone or tablet is released every day. Maintaining an up-to-date network system has never been more important with all these new advances in technology constantly coming out. These devices require strong wireless signals to operate optimally. Your hotel guests will expect to be able to use the internet without being slowed down on the device of their choice.
You must modify your hotel WiFi systems to keep them running properly as new technologies emerge. Every three to four years, we recommend that you evaluate your wireless network and identify areas for improvement to provide complete coverage.
Professional Equipment
Without suitable equipment, you won’t be able to provide your visitors with the experience they’re looking for. In the hospitality and MDU industries, professional, enterprise-grade equipment is essential for providing guests with reliable and secure WiFi. There are several parts that make up a WiFi system including a gateway, wireless controller, switches and access points.
Here are a few tips on how you may improve your hotel WiFi solutions for higher guest satisfaction scores:
Put the Access Points Somewhere Sensible for Better Internet Access
WiFi radio waves are transmitted from access points in different patterns, based on the access point design. Some access points are designed to be ceiling-mounted, with a wave pattern that shoots down and across, while other are designed to be wall-mounted, providing the best coverage directly in front of it. So, if you want proper coverage without dead spots, you must choose the access point position carefully.
Professional system integrators have the knowledge and experience to properly place the access points for the best internet quality. They will also be able to advise you on the best type of access point for your environment, depending on the layout and size of the premises. They will conduct a thorough survey of your property to ensure that the access points are correctly positioned, taking into account obstructions and interference.
Keep Your Equipment Updated
The software that controls your wireless access points, like any other computer program, must be updated from time to time. Why is that? Security and performance are the two most common reasons, but there are a variety of others. Every update resolves bugs and other issues, and many of them improve the functionality of your equipment. Your customers will appreciate you for keeping this equipment up-to-date.
It’s worth noting that, with a gateway like the Fusion, there will be numerous security, stability, and performance benefits across the board when you upgrade the software. This is in addition to the benefits that come with any major software release like improvements to the web interface, better logging, and so on. The gateway and controller software will be updated on a regular basis by Hotel Internet Services to ensure that your visitors have a safe and dependable WiFi connection.
Don’t Cheap Out on the Connection
Numerous consumers with high demands on the network necessitate additional capacity. A hotel’s conference room, for example, may accommodate more than 200 concurrent users on the WiFi network.
Higher-end, enterprise-grade access points are built to withstand this sort of demand; therefore, they are considerably more expensive than ones acquired at a local electronics shop. Additionally, the abilities they have to seamless roam between APs, dynamically adapt signal strength, and shape the waveform to each device helps optimize load balancing, minimize interference and maximize performance.
This is why it’s vital not to replace higher-end access points with cheaper ones since this will have an impact on the overall performance of your WiFi network.
Maintain a Strong Wireless Signal Throughout the Hotel
WiFi wireless networks, as compared to cellular or other technologies, are particularly susceptible to signal fading. WiFi clients obtain the greatest data rates when they are in an area of strong signal strength from the access point with little interference. Most service providers suggest aiming for a minimum signal strength of -65 dBm and an SNR of 25-30 dBs in the quest for strong signals.
What is dBs in relation to SNR? The signal-to-noise ratio, commonly known as SNR, is the strength of the wanted signal compared to background noise (or undesired signal). The fixed formula to determine SNR compares the two levels and returns the ratio, which indicates whether noise affects the desired signal.
To ensure that your guests’ devices stay connected at every point in the hotel, it is important to choose high-end access points.
Why do Hotels Need WiFi?
As we know, there are many different types of travelers, and their needs can be as unique as their demographic. Business travelers require fast, reliable Internet to complete their tasks and stay in touch with the office. Families on vacation may need WiFi to keep up with their social media accounts, check email, and stream movies and TV shows. And solo travelers often use hotel WiFi to stay connected with friends and family back home. By providing high-quality WiFi, hotels can appeal to a wider range of guests and keep them coming back! Here are a few more advantages of having a dependable and consistent WiFi connection in your hotel:
To Strengthen Customer Loyalty
One of your goals as a hotelier is to give your guests an outstanding, consistent, and hassle-free experience to encourage them to return. To stand out from the crowd, you must provide exceptional services throughout the guest’s stay, including the best hospitality WiFi service. Providing fast, constant, and readily accessible hotel guest WiFi is one way to strengthen that loyalty to consider.
Hotel WiFi is an important element in the hotel selection process and future reservations. To improve your hotel guest experience, you need to provide them with a seamless experience. They should be able to connect and stream without interruption from the moment they walk in until their final step of departure. No internet connection or streaming problems with your WiFi network, whatsoever!
You also have a higher chance of attracting happy and loyal guests who would consider repeating reservations and recommending your hotel to their coworkers, friends, and family if you provide a good and consistent WiFi experience. And offering free WiFi generally increases guest satisfaction scores while keeping guest complaints at bay.
Uninterrupted Communication
With a secure WiFi connection for hotels, guests today have more opportunities than ever to stay in touch with their loved ones and keep up on the latest happenings back home. Whether they want a quick internet call or just an update from social media, free WiFi ensures that all of these communications through their smart devices are possible without leaving their room! Again, they will be more likely to stay longer, spend more money, and recommend the hotel to friends and family.
Seamless Hotel Operations
Hotel WiFi has a significant impact on your hotel’s operations as well. Hotels around the world are dependent on smooth operations to provide exceptional guest satisfaction. Slow networks can have a damaging influence on the performance and efficiency of your hotel’s operations, as well as the satisfaction of your visitors.
The following systems may be affected by your hotel’s WiFi access points, each of which requires uninterrupted internet connection and sufficient bandwidth: web-based platforms, concierge service, IPTV, credit card machines, tablets, housekeeping devices, remote check-in, and so on. For these systems to operate properly, you’ll need access to the internet and a connection at optimal speed.
Installing WiFi Business Solutions
The moment you decide to build a new network for your hotel, the next step is to choose a HSIA services provider to install it for you.
Note that every hotel is unique, therefore, you need a service provider that can adapt the network design and installation procedure to meet your specific requirements. It’s critical to work with someone who understands your needs.
To begin, you’ll want an HSIA service provider that can create a layout that will meet your present and future requirements. You may potentially require remote services management and HSIA consulting services for your network, so you want a firm with expertise in both areas. In general, here are the two qualities a service provider must have:
Experience
Hospitality networking must provide very specific features, and it is also undergoing changes on a regular basis to fulfill new use cases and technology, examples being the ever-expanding IoT universe, converged networking and employee safety devices. Therefore, it is vital for an HSIA service provider to have experience both in enterprise networking and in the hospitality industry.
Efficiency
Having a team that can maintain your new network after it’s in place will assist you to avoid future issues. The last thing you want is a guest having a terrible experience at your hotel. This is why you’ll want a reliable HSIA service provider with a knowledgeable staff that can solve your internet or guest login problems as soon as possible.
We Provide Complete WiFi Business Solutions for Hotels
A powerful and reliable wireless network ensures the best experience for guests at your hotel. When you install a hospitality WiFi network, your guests can enjoy more than just the internet, they also have access to TV channels, streaming services, and other on-demand entertainment conveniently through their devices. A hotel WiFi network may be a gamechanger for your hospitality company if you want to attract more people and add new services and amenities to enhance your guest’s experience.
This is why it’s so important to choose a reputable wireless internet service provider for your hotel, so you receive the best outcomes and delight your hotel guests. The best choice for hotel internet services is in the name: Trust Hotel Internet Services with your next hospitality HSIA installation project. Contact us today for a free quote to get started!
Long gone are the days when internet was a “nice to have” amenity. Today’s guests often travel with multiple connected devices that require greater bandwidth for activities like streaming video and virtual meetings. What’s more, hotel teams and properties are increasingly reliant on the same infrastructure that supports guest WiFi networks. Three hospitality technology experts shared with LODGING their recommendations for investing in a property’s connectivity infrastructure to meet modern guest and operational demands.
Gary Patrick, CEO of Hotel Internet Services, says the trend towards guest service digitalization and the growing prevalence of smart technology in hotels has led to property internet networks being even more essential to operations and guest satisfaction rates. “Today’s hotel networks are required to be faster, more robust, and able to provide consistent reliability across a property to prevent lapses in service quality. A network that fails to live up to these increasing needs not only risks bringing various property systems requiring an online connection to a grinding halt but will inevitably fall below modern guest expectations, resulting in a drop in business reputation and revenue,” Patrick explains.
Today’s hoteliers need to address the fact that guests now overwhelmingly expect in-room entertainment experiences to offer personalized content that is instantly accessible and importantly, doesn’t require any sort of staff assistance. Before adopting any solution, properties must determine if a platform is able to provide a user-friendly experience that sidesteps potential system unfamiliarity issues that could lead to guest frustration.
Using advanced casting platforms designed exclusively for hotel environments, properties can boost guest confidence by preventing content from being inadvertently or maliciously streamed to other rooms. (Hotel Internet Services)
“This includes providing an easy-to-navigate user interface and with regards to casting platforms, a simplified device-pairing process that doesn’t end with guests giving up and deciding to view their content on personal tablets or laptops,” said Gary Patrick, CEO of Hotel Internet Services. “With each guest having their own unique content-viewing preferences and streaming account subscriptions, hoteliers also need to consider a solution’s level of compatibility with any streaming service a guest may wish to access on guestroom televisions. This is especially true for international travelers who may wish to view streaming services based in their home region.”
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