Property Wide

Despite concerns about security, CIOs and IT leaders are moving an increasing percentage of their organizational information into the cloud. Many of these executives are making growing use of private cloud and SaaS delivery models. Here HT talks to industry experts about their experiences, best practices and concerns for the future of managing hotels in the cloud.

As mobile keys continue to gain ground, hoteliers are engaging further functionalities of locking technologies to streamline and personalize customer service. In addition to line-busting capabilities, the latest generation of locks can provide hoteliers with valuable insights and provide competitive advantage.

Privacy and security are hot issues these days, fueled by high-profile data breaches affecting companies like Target, and closer to home, Wyndham Worldwide. Hotels are seeking ways to bolster privacy policies with scanning and monitoring procedures. Technology plays a part, but can only be effective when coupled with rigorous training and transparent guest communication.

Hotel executives discuss the solutions they are using to provide robust, secure connectivity for both guest-facing and back-office networks across property.
 

Combining property management with other management systems is a necessary next-step for hoteliers to achieve the level of operational efficiency and data control they are seeking. In a roundtable Q&A, HT reached out to several industry executives to find out where the industry stands on system-wide integration.

The number and diversity of guests' mobile devices are placing extreme demands on hotel networks. As devices rapidly change, it's impossible to predict how much bandwidth will be necessary to satisfy future guests' expectations. Hotels must seek solutions to provide connectivity for a wide variety of devices, while managing their own costs.

Demands on hotels' cellular networks are greater than ever as guests expect consistent service for their multiple mobile devices. Offering superior cellular service for guests has emerged as a value-add opportunity for some hotels.

Hoteliers find fresh ways to utilize guest room televisions to make them useful for a content-carrying public. The next generation of guest room TVs is focused on enhancing the entertainment that the guest already owns.