Instant Hotel Wi-Fi: IHG's Game-Changing Auto Connect Feature
Imagine if your front desk staff never had to answer the question: “How do I connect to the Wi-Fi?” For years, hoteliers and solution providers have been working hard to develop a simple and seamless solution that would allow guests to connect to the internet as soon as they walk through the front doors. IHG Hotels & Resorts has finally figured out the perfect solution for its brand. It’s spent the last two years developing Wi-Fi Auto Connect, a new feature within its mobile app that allows IHG One Rewards members to automatically connect to the internet upon arrival at any of its hotels worldwide without needing to put in an access code or a login.
During Hotel Technology Forum, we’ll talk on-stage with Vijay Raghavan, Director, Digital Stay Experience Products, IHG Hotels & Resorts, about the development process, the rollout process, and the major success they’ve seen since its implementation. It’s sure to be a session you won’t want to miss!
Make your plans now to attend the Hotel Technology Forum from Nov. 15-17th in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Register here and check out our agenda to see some of our other amazing speakers from companies such as: Appellation, Fire & Vine Hospitality, Margaritaville Enterprises, Pyramid Global Hospitality, and more!
About Vijay Raghavan, Director, Digital Stay Experience Products, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Vijay Raghavan began his career with IHG Hotels & Resorts 17 years ago as a Manager - Revenue and Guest Technology. During that time, he led several innovative guest-facing initiatives such as IHG Marketplace (a tech portal for hotels to purchase tech products), IHG Connect (next gen Wi-Fi infrastructure), real-time secure Hotel Connectivity from IHG cloud to all IHG hotels, and IHG Studio (IHG’s next generation in-room entertainment platform).
After a few years in that role, he was promoted to Sr. Technology & Business Relationship Manager. In this role he was responsible for implementing a $3M Salesforce.com migration initiative that stood up a closed marketplace portal for all IHG hotel colleagues. He was also responsible for implementing a key next-generation initiative for IHG to transform its internet infrastructure. This ultimately laid the foundation for the brand's most recent round of Wi-Fi innovation.
In his current role as Director, Digital Stay Experience Products - Commercial & Technology, Raghavan has been responsible for the brand's rollout of Wi-Fi Auto Connect, a new feature within its new mobile app that allows IHG One Rewards members to automatically connect to the internet upon arrival at any of its hotels worldwide without needing to put in an access code or a login. He is also responsible for IHG’s next generation in-room guest experience products and collaborating with some key external partners to bring new innovations to IHG’s guests.