Tips on how to offer quality WiFi in your hotel.

While the smooth running of the network has always been important, today it is even more so: customers expect the internet in a hotel to go as fast and be as reliable as in theirown homes and to have a frictionless experience on any device from which they connect, be it a smartphone, tablet, laptop or wearables.

The guest demands to be able to enjoy content from on-demand platforms, play video games just like at home, or have high-quality video calls and events using the hotel’s own network. So WiFi is a critical service for any type of traveller because they perceive it as an essential service. A bad connection experience can lead to multiple complaints, a drop in online reputation rankings and a loss of quality in brand perception.

Having a fast and reliable network is a differentiating element for a property, a necessity to be more competitive in an area where potential customers demand more and more quality technology-related services.

If you want to offer a better internet experience in your accommodation, so that your guests can make use of all kinds of devices while enjoying a good speed and a quality and stable connection, the WiFi must work as smoothly as possible. Occasionally, faults that can hamper the proper functioning of the network may arise, and it is therefore advisable to take some aspects into account. From Hotelinking we would like to give you some tips on how to keep your WiFi network in the best conditions.

Check your infrastructure and system

It may seem obvious, but it is important to remember that if you want to offer a quality connection, the first thing to check is the network infrastructure.

In fact, one of the main reasons why a hosting does not have a good connection is because it has not been installed properly. To offer good WiFi coverage in all hotel areas, whether in rooms, public areas, dining room, restaurants, bar, swimming pool and anywhere, it is necessary to analyse the location of the wiring and antennas.

For large spaces, such as an accommodation, it is necessary to install more than one Access Point (AP), access points that help to distribute and balance the network. In addition, attention should be paid to the positioning of the devices taking into account the size and set up of the space. And of course, the router used must be appropriate for the number of people that may be at the location.

Most hotel’s WiFi networks systems are neither optimised, nor improved and they do not meet specific requirements. Many current WiFi infrastructures that were designed about 7-10 years ago, are nowadays of low quality, with slow connectivity and coverage failures. Taking into account the pace at which network innovation is advancing, it is necessary to renew and update services every five years.

Keep up to date

To ensure higher speed and reliability of data transmission, it is important to update devices whenever possible. Therefore, it is essential that you know the state of your network by means of technical audits to detect what adjustments or elements your network needs in order to be of high quality.

Make sure that your technical team checks both the physical condition and the configuration of all the network components (routers, switches, access points, firewalls, servers…) of your property’s system during this audit. It is also important that any deficiencies in wireless signal performance, capacity and coverage are identified and analysed.

On the other hand, we advise that you invest in upgrading your WiFi networks every four to five years from a technology obsolescence standpoint and work with trusted vendors to determine investment plans and network upgrade needs.

Monitor the network

Despite a proper set up and an optimal state of the components, you may still experience occasional network failures in your property. As previously discussed, normally when these incidents happen, we act too late to repair the inconveniences caused to customers and change their perception of the service. In addition, the solutions that are applied are inefficient, generate high costs in the long run and a constant dependence on third parties.

For this, there are advanced tools such as WiFiBot which automatically solves these internet connection problems without requiring the intervention of a technician or the intervention of hotel staff.

WiFiBot is a tool that connects to all the different devices of the hotel’s WiFi network in such a way that it is able to monitor the health of the entire system and any element connected to the network regardless of the manufacturer, 24/7. When it detects a problem, it is capable of rectifying it on its own in certain cases and can even anticipate possible incidents by warning of danger, thanks to its alarm system.

At the same time, it proactively monitors the network for performance issues and continuously evaluates the components to maintain and optimise their availability to avoid downtime or network failures. In short, it is a single, comprehensive system that looks after your WiFi network’s health.

Prioritise security

The hotel sector is one of the main targets of cybercrime, especially cyber-attacks, because of the large volumes of sensitive information (customers’ personal and credit card data) handled by these properties on an annual basis.

Preventing and preparing for these cases is very important, as the consequences go far beyond the simple financial losses that the customer or the hotel may suffer; there may also be legal sanctions and of course, damage to the reputation of the affected company.

It is advisable to check the physical systems and their configuration to ensure the safety of the networks and the invulnerability of the hotel’s systems and applications connected to it. It is also important to keep basic cybersecurity software (firewalls, antivirus, etc.) up to date, and to use strong and complex passwords.

A basic but essential requirement is to have systems such as two-step authentication in place to strengthen the security of online payments: you will protect your customers’ data by offering a transparent and secure process and also minimise losses due to fraud disputes.

With all this, you will avoid potential attacks and theft of private information of guests and the hotel’s internal management.

Plan the next opening from closure

Preparing for closure may seem like a simple task, but the truth is that it requires strict order and coordination between all areas to ensure that everything is protected and that nothing goes wrong when the doors reopen next season.

Before closure:

– Inventory of all devices: We recommend having inventories of all elements of the WiFi network. This listing should contain the device name, MAC address, device type, firmware version, physical location, etc.

– Mapping documentation: Documenting how devices are connected to each other will help you identify the network infrastructure.

During the closure:

– If the hotel is completely switched off, it should be noted that, in the absence of power, it is not possible to check whether a device is switched off or stops working.

For this reason, we recommend keeping the network on standby, i.e. only broadcasting WiFi at the points where it is necessary because either your own or outsourced staff are working, or devices such as security cameras need it. Only in this way is it possible to control what happens in the hotel when it is closed.

At Hotelinking, we have extensive experience in the sector through the integration of our services with the WiFi network of more than 1000 hotels and we are up to date with the latest developments in equipment, manufacturers, components and updates.

We provide solutions for the maintenance of a quality WiFi network through customised projects that include an on-site study of the hotel’s needs and the design of solutions that best adapt to each case.

One example is the success story of the BLUESEA chain: thanks to our solutions, several of their hotels have improved their overall WiFi rating in Booking, with the consequent improvement in guest satisfaction.

If you want to learn more about how Hotelinking can help you to have a quality WiFi network, get in touch with us and solve all your doubts about your network infrastructure.