Wireless Global Congress Orlando, FL June 13th, 2018
WiFi in Hotels: Converting professional and secure WiFi into positive reviews
Enrique Farfan, COO
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Hotel Wi-Fi serves multiple purposesFor guests, for staff, for facilities
Guest experience
Efficient OperationsSecure Access
• Easy connection• Integral travel
experience• Happier guests• Higher ratings• Drive additional
stays• Feedback gateway
• Segmented access
• Customizable access and authorization policies
• Secure customer data
• Protect Point-of-Sale systems, IoT devices
• Employee Connectivity (BYOD)
• Support personnel
• Hotel’s own systems
• Events and Conferences
• IoT Support
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Enterprise-grade Wi-Fi is important today
WPA2-Enterprise Restricted & secure access Configurable Access rights Real-time visibility of connected staff Protected data
Secure User-friendly
Self-onboarding Events:
Invitation management Customizable portal Calendar sync
Intuitive admin console
Front DeskMaintenanceHousekeeping Management
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but Wi-Fi will be essential tomorrowIoT and Big Data bring new opportunities to Hotels
New Services & business models Leverage guest knowledge through partnerships Location-based services: Upsell Address Guests’ with special needs (medical, dietary)
Sources: Telkonet, IBM Watson
Improved operations & lower costs Smart Energy Management: 20-45% reduction Predictive maintenance Convenience for guests On the events side
Detect breaks, unused rooms
Adjust AC settings
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Products from different manufacturers: Smart blinds, thermostats, TVs, light switches, etc.
How do we interact with them?
Smartphone (App) Voice activation
Challenges: Get devices connected to the right network Avoid Retrofits (expensive) Prevent Cyber attacks
Smart Hotels rely on Secure Wi-FiThe IoT opportunity needs Wi-Fi connectivity
“8.4 Bn connected
things will be in use
worldwide in 2017”
Gartner
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Hotel Guest Wi-Fi is a proven needConnectivity is key to earning the loyalty of guests
Just Give me Wi-Fi – Statista Survey Hotel & Accommodation bookingsMay 2017
Which hotel services are particularly important to you?WiFi plays a major role in hotel reviews:
Rated most important service Poor WiFi is the 2nd most cited complaint 83% will report bad WiFi service 36% won’t return because of it 66% wants an easier way to connect 33% dissatisfied with Wi-Fi access process
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Improve your guest’s connection experienceManage Wi-Fi access on your Hotel’s App
Obtain analytics on network performanceSeamless connectivity Increase loyalty to brand
Provide an always-best-connected experienceImprove guest satisfaction (QoE)Maximize WiFi infrastructure potentialUnderstand and optimize the hotel network from the guest’s point of viewIncrease loyalty to brand – tie everything into one experience
“73% of guests would use an app to automatically connect to hotel
Wi-Fi”Oracle
73%
Generating Positive Reviews with Wi-Fi | 8
But…Guest Wi-Fi is not just about connectivity
Higher guest satisfaction
Better communication with guests
Improve customer experience and increase bookings
Gain valuable visitor feedback to improve customer engagement
Increase positive reviews in hotel pages and Online Travel Agencies
On-site problem solving
Regulations compliance
“80% of travelers state that WiFi
influences their choice of hotel.”
TripAdvisor
An opportunity to achieve:
Must-have (Cost
Center)Valued Service
(Profit Center)
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Going Beyond ConnectivityExtract Wi-Fi’s full potential
Good user experience – Easy to onboardAbility to manage service, segment and personalizeMultiple customization optionsLeverage promotion opportunitiesCollect actionable feedbackGather intelligence from Wi-Fi analytics
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Reviews are essential in the hotel industryRecent study shows TripAdvisor’s influence
$5.29 Trillion
2017 Global tourism market
$546 Bn (~10.3%)
Influenced by TripAdvisor
7.4% per year Influence
Growth rate
Higher review scores
increase length of stay
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Increase Hotel Ratings on Online Travel AgenciesHandle issues while the guest is still at the hotel
1. Guests connect to WiFi
2. Guests asked about their stay
• If low score ! hotel is notified
• If high score ! Redirected to
review sites
3. Obtain real time information
from guests
• Positive Reviews increase
• Issues addressed proactively
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Monitor Ratings for Marketing Purposes Check for patterns and address issues proactively
Email warnings of negative ratings Monitor improvements over time
Track user satisfaction: (responses, avg. rating, details)
Generating Positive Reviews with Wi-Fi | 13
Compare Performance on Different SitesScores segmented by Online Travel Agency
Hotel managers can: Configure travel agencies of interest View the satisfaction rate of guests on sites Evaluate effects of new initiatives over time
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Comprehensive Wi-Fi Solution for HotelsSuccessfully addresses both Guest and Employee Wi-Fi
Enterprise Control Connectivity experienceHotel Manager
WiFi Solutions for Hotels