5 Benefits to Consolidating a Hotel Audio System

Hotel managers use audio technologies each day to manage operations at their properties. Depending on the hotel, these audio systems will support back-of-house operations, aid communication with guests, or create a unique atmosphere within the property for guests by using background music. The audio systems are installed with a singular goal in mind — ensuring guest satisfaction. Without satisfied guests, hotels fail and hotel managers should prioritize audio technology as an essential element in creating a desired guest experience. 

Property managers hire audio and video integrators to install loudspeakers in key locations within a hotel property to provide sound to guests, primarily in restaurants, bars, lobbies, pool surrounds and any other high-traffic areas on a property where people congregate. Loudspeakers need an audio technology platform or system to create and deliver the audio. If a hotel’s audio technology is more than ten years old, odds are there are multiple disparate audio systems installed, each designed for a specific need. A hotel may install several paging or public address (PA) systems that help staff communicate to guests in specific areas of the hotel. A pool bar might announce a guest’s order on its own system, while the interior restaurant makes announcements on another system. The audio hardware might be the same brand or model, but depending on who installed them and when, they can be completely different systems and, more importantly, are likely operated independently from one another. New audio technology allows for these disconnected systems to be replaced by a singular and unified installed system that can provide coverage and unique content to all zones or areas.

When considering an audio system upgrade, here are five benefits to installing new unified audio technology to address all hotel needs:

1. Less complexity: Having multiple disparate, siloed audio systems for PA and background music adds unnecessary complexity for the staff who use and service these systems. A typical audio investment cycle for a hotel is a minimum of five years, and it’s not uncommon for hotels to add new equipment from different manufacturers piecemeal over time and installed by different vendors. It also required staff to learn multiple systems. Today’s modern systems can manage paging and background music from a central location across every location or zone that needs audio in a hotel. Consolidating the system will reduce complexity and the amount of training for those operating them.
2. Consistency: Each zone, for example the lobby, restaurant, spa and pool, may all want to play different music at different volumes depending on the desired ambience and time of day. Choosing one system to manage all hotel audio allows management to control the audio choices throughout the property, and across many distinct zones with different audio needs. With the ability to change volume or music or make announcements from a central location to any zone on a property with a common user interface, management can create a more consistent experience across a hotel for staff and guests alike.  Newer technology also allows different access and control for different types of users, like offering managers full control while waiters may only be able to control volume. 
3. Automation: Modern, multi-featured audio systems provide automation benefits that make it easier for hotel staff. The latest systems offer features such as ambient noise compensation through sensors installed in areas that detect the level of sound and automatically change volume levels to compensate. For instance, when a hotel restaurant has fewer guests, noise levels may be low, and during these times, background music volume can decrease automatically. When guest count increases in the space, volume would increase without individual intervention. This type of automation reduces the reliance on staff to change volume and removes the possibility of human error and poor guest experience.
4. Simplify Maintenance: Larger hotels may have a full-time AV person to maintain the audio systems. However, for some hotels, it might be an external AV integrator on a service contract that handles servicing. If servicing is outsourced, personnel may need to travel across town or even further to troubleshoot a volume issue in one of the spaces. This can get expensive, even for brief service calls. Modern systems are now software-based, and service personnel can remotely analyze the AV system on a PC to troubleshoot and address many errors and issues without leaving their office. Remote capabilities help reduce service and repair costs while helping maintain better audio consistency on a property.    
5. Enhancing the Customer Experience: Audio is an essential element of the guest experience. From the loudspeakers to the amplifiers powering a system to the choices of music played in different areas or zones in a hotel, this attention to detail can help create memorable experiences. Newer audio systems with higher-quality sound have the potential to transform and modernize a space.

When it’s time to reconsider hotel audio across a property, management teams should choose audio systems that help provide a more consistent experience for guests and staff alike. Consolidating disparate audio systems into one system will make it easier for a hotel to operate and maintain and can save maintenance costs. Finally, not all audio systems are created equal. AV and technology teams must research products to ensure they are easy to use, as some of the industry’s top brands ensure seamless integration. Selecting the wrong system that’s difficult for staff to use can lead to dissatisfaction, lower use, and a wasted investment.