Wi-Fi for hotels: in every room, not just the lobby
Guests judge a hotel on its Wi-Fi too. I design hotel networks that work in the room, in the meeting room and during a full conference.
Where hotel Wi-Fi usually goes wrong
In many hotels the access points hang in the corridor. The signal then has to pass the room door, the bathroom and sometimes a tiled wall or mirror before it reaches the bed. The result: full bars in the corridor and complaints in the room.
A good hotel design puts access points in the rooms, for example wall-plate access points that also give the TV a network port, or in every other room with a channel plan that works across floors.
What I design
- Coverage per room, measured at the bed and the desk, not in the corridor
- Capacity for lobby, restaurant, meeting rooms and ballroom
- A channel and transmit power plan across all floors
- Guest access with a captive portal or OpenRoaming via Cisco Spaces
- Separate networks for staff, tills, door locks and other IoT
- Room for streaming and casting to the in-room TV
Conferences and events
A hall with three hundred delegates, each with a laptop and a phone, needs a different design than a corridor of rooms. I calculate capacity per hall, including the divided variants, so you do not have to rent temporary access points for a large event.
More from the same network
With Cisco Spaces the Wi-Fi network also works as a sensor: how busy the lobby and restaurant are, which halls are really used and when housekeeping can enter a room. More in my guide on Cisco Spaces for hotels.
Frequently asked questions
Access points in the corridor or in the room?
In the room, if at all possible. From the corridor the signal passes doors and bathrooms and coverage at the bed is often weak. Wall-plate access points fit neatly in the room.
Can guests connect automatically?
Yes. With OpenRoaming via Cisco Spaces guests connect securely without a password or login page every time. A classic captive portal works too.
Can the network be renewed while the hotel stays open?
Yes. I survey and plan floor by floor, so the installer can work room by room without closing the hotel.
Also of interest
Discuss your project
Send me the floor plans and what you want to achieve. You get a scope and a fixed price back.