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HOTELS CAN ‘ FUTURE-PROOF ’ AGAINST AS-YET-UNKNOWN TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES .
URVEBALL
Contributed by JULIANA SHALLCROSS
Upgrading a hotel ’ s technology infrastructure , whether as part of the guest experience or for the back of the house , may cause more than a few hoteliers to groan these days . As technology evolves , IT infrastructure can quickly become inefficient . ( Chances are , most hotel infrastructures are already inefficient .) And owners may be reluctant to make another significant investment when they could have to pony up more dollars in just a few years .
Enter future-proofing . Used in industries such as architecture , engineering and energy conservation , this strategy predicts trends and develops solutions that can work when needed .
For hotels , future-proofing IT systems comes down to one simple objective — a strong , fast and secure wireless network . “ We tell our hotel owners , ‘ Let ’ s not skimp on the infrastructure ,’” says John Edwards , chief information officer at RLH Corp ., Denver . “ Because it can really cripple us when we look at changes that we need to make in the future .
“ When they say why should we spend another 10 grand on our WiFi networks , we say , ‘ Look , there are just certain things that cheaper solutions can ’ t do .’ And three years from now , that ’ s really going to be a problem .”
‘ SELF-EXPLANATORY ’ Miami-based Menin Hospitality has significantly upgraded the tech infrastructure at its properties with future-proofing as a top priority . That includes moving core systems to the cloud , adding WiFi access points in every guest room on an interference-free 5GHZ band , moving to a EMV / chip system for credit cards , mobile keys , and as a fun entertainment for guests , the services of Shelly , a delivery robot at The Shelbourne in South Beach .
“ The benefits ( of future-proofing ) are self-explanatory ,” says Jared Galbut , Menin ’ s managing principal . “ Systems work as expected , business doesn ’ t grind to a halt , our guests are happy and they have a better tech and media experience at our properties than they would at home .” At MacArthur Place , a historic hotel in Sonoma , California , that is about to be remodeled for the first time in 20 years , technology upgrades will feel like a “ natural extension ” of the guest experience .
“ We will only implement technology that our guests are not only familiar with but that have been tried and tested ,” says Justin
Bain , director of marketing and brand management at IMH , an Arizona-based real estate investment company that has acquired the hotel . “ There is nothing worse than a technology experience gone bad .”
When it comes to the all-important WiFi network , Bain says the hotel is emphasizing data transfer , for guests and meetings . “ We are installing a system that can handle four to five times more guests than we can accommodate ,” he says . “ It ’ s also extremely scalable , so that when we have large groups we can crank it up to make sure that the WiFi stays stable .”
REDUCING COMPLEXITY Aside from investing in the wireless network , hotels should reduce the complexity of their systems . RLH Corp ., which is shifting to a largely franchised operation , has made this a priority for hotels and owners . Edwards says they are focusing on maximizing a hotel ’ s existing tools and technology rather than replacing or adding to them .
46 hotelsmag . com May 2018