Boosting direct bookings: how Hotelinking’s smart Wi-Fi solution is changing the game

Disintermediating bookings remains one of the main challenges for hoteliers in the current hotel industry scenario. This is why building a solid guest database that drives direct bookings and fosters guest loyalty is essential.

However, traditional traveller data collection methods are often insufficient, leaving hotel groups struggling with fragmented information and missed opportunities to deliver personalised guest experiences.

Hotelinking has become an innovation model, offering a smart Wi-Fi solution that addresses these challenges while transforming the guest Wi-Fi experience into a powerful tool for engagement and data collection.

Understanding the weak point in the collection of guest data

The struggle to manage and leverage guest data effectively is a problem for all hotel groups worldwide.

Many bookings come from commission-based channels, such as OTAs and tour operators, who often hide valuable guest information from hoteliers.

As a result, hoteliers are left with a fragmented view of their guests’ preferences, behaviours and booking patterns. This fragmentation hampers marketing efforts and impedes their ability to deliver personalised experiences. Without access to comprehensive data, maximising revenue through direct bookings is very difficult.

Hotelinking’s innovative solution

Hotelinking’s smart Wi-Fi solution offers a paradigm shift in guest data management.

Traditionally, hotels have offered Wi-Fi access through relatively simple methods, such as username and password systems, providing little value for both guests and hoteliers.

However, our solution transforms this interaction into a win-win opportunity for both parties.

The captive portal experience

Upon connecting to the hotel’s Wi-Fi network, guests are seamlessly directed to a personalised landing page, AKA captive portal, tailored to the hotel’s branding and look and feel.

This is where innovation lies: guests must provide specific personal data, such as their email addresses, in exchange for free Wi-Fi access. While some hoteliers may initially be hesitant to request this information, Hotelinking’s extensive experience in the industry has shown that guests are willing to provide data in exchange for the convenience of free Wi-Fi access.

High capture ratios of over 80 %.

Hotelinking’s captive portal boasts impressive participation rates.

With more than 1,500 hotels using our captive portal and more than 30,000 emails analysed and verified in real-time, we have found that around 80 % of guests have voluntarily provided the requested information.

This high level of participation highlights the intrinsic value of free Wi-Fi for guests, who eagerly seek connectivity for multiple devices and a variety of purposes, such as sharing memories with loved ones, watching their favourite series, or even performing work-related tasks.

Advanced email verification algorithms

Another innovative feature is that Hotelinking uses advanced real-time email verification algorithms to ensure the integrity of the guest database.

This advanced feature eliminates the inclusion of fake or misspelt email addresses, safeguarding the database’s quality and preserving the hotel domain’s reputation.

Advanced native integrations

In addition, Hotelinking’s smart Wi-Fi solution integrates seamlessly with the hotel’s existing infrastructure, including hotel property management systems (PMS) and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms.

By enriching guest profiles with information from multiple sources, hoteliers gain valuable insights into guest preferences and behaviours, enabling highly targeted marketing campaigns and personalised guest experiences.

Boosting direct bookings

By harnessing the power of smart Wi-Fi, Hotelinking enables hoteliers to drive direct bookings and reduce reliance on commission-based channels.

With access to a high-quality guest database and advanced marketing capabilities, hotels can foster guest loyalty, increase repeat bookings and therefore maximise the chain’s revenues.

In conclusion: our solution offers a transformative approach to overcoming the challenges posed by commission-based channels. By leveraging Wi-Fi connectivity as a valuable touch point for data collection, hoteliers can unlock new opportunities for direct communication, personalised marketing and revenue growth.