Digital displays in hotels are not only used to display information. They affect how guests engage with the property from the moment they arrive.

And when hotels think about adding Digital Signage, many of the projects start with an easy concept to understand:

Replace printed notices with screens.

But we talk find that the expectations for hospitality display projects with customers are often a lot wider.

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A Message to All Hotel Owners and Operators

Visitor engagement with the information

Where will visitors need guidance?

How often will content change?

Can you use the system across various segments of the hotel?

The thing that is on a hotel lobby display is not what it is to be a screen in retail.

Guests are not just a vehicle-up to survey ads.

They are seeking guidance, solutions, enjoyment and ease of access.

And that means you have to work differently when designing the display solution.

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Hotel Lobby More Than Reception Area

The lobby acts as the first physical experience a guest has upon entering a hotel.

Traditional hotels often rely on:

Reception counters

Printed brochures

Direction signs

Wall posters

Information boards

However, these methods are not well-defined defining and do have their constraints.

Hotel information changes frequently.

A restaurant can update a menu.

A conference schedule may change.

A special promotion may end.

Every time the information changes, a new printed sign is needed.

Digital Signage provides hotels a more agile way for communicating.

Outside of the lobby, a display can introduce hotel facilities, promote services, share event information or usher residents to their destinations without replacing physical assets on repeat.

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Placement of the Display Should be Decided Based on the Guest Experience

Ignoring the fact that it is all a hotel display and making them one product is something we often see in hospitality/mixed projects.

Distinct spaces within a hotel have different functionalities.

A lobby display may focus on:

Welcome messages

Hotel introduction

Service information

Event announcements

A wayfinding kiosk could be:

Floor navigation

Restaurant locations

Meeting room guidance

Guest self-service

A restaurant display might focus on:

Menu presentation

Promotions

Seasonal offers

The screen in isolation is just the hardware.

It depends on the application to determine what type of display solution makes sense.

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The Spaces in Which Hotels Find Themselves Often Dictate Varying Installation Needs

Even if hotel displays are generally placed indoors, the environment still influences the choice of equipment.

In the case of a luxury hotel lobby, they may lean more towards beautification and blending into the interior.

For example, a conference hotel which required various information to be displayed in real time throughout the day.

International visitors could necessitate displays that support multilingual communication for resort.

During any discussion regarding a project we normally think about:

Viewing distance

Lighting conditions

Installation position

Content frequency

User interaction requirements

A big wall-mounted display might be the best choice for a reception desk while an interactive kiosk on the floor might be used near elevators or entrances.

This chart shows that picking the correct installation approach tends to have a larger impact than merely choosing bigger screen sizes.

One of such application areas is Hotel Services by Interactive Kiosks.

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Interactive Kiosks Are Changing Hotel Services

We are seeing more hotels increasingly investigating self-service options.

Interactive kiosks can support:

Hotel information search

Digital check-in guidance

Local attraction recommendations

Restaurant reservations

Event information

This does not mean taking jobs away from hotel employees.

This allows employees to concentrate on more complex requests while digital tools assist guests in accessing information quicker.

Similarly, hotel groups with numerous properties are finding that structured management is also key to their success.

A brand campaign or service update can be sent across multiple locations without having to change each display manually.

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Content Management: Why It All Matters for Multi-Location Hotels

One hotel might easily have multiple digital displays.

A group of hotels can be hundreds.

When you look at the work involved with manually managing content, it becomes more complicated as the number of screens increases.

An appropriate Digital Signage management system can help the operators to:

Update content remotely

Schedule campaigns

Manage different locations

Maintain consistent brand communication

This is useful in situations like if a hotel chain wants to run a seasonal promotion through all of their properties but does not want to have to send out individual instructions for every one.

The display hardware creates visibility.

Operational efficiency is created through the management system.

System selection is also a critical aspect when planning commercial display projects. Our article <a href="/android-or-windows-most-buyers-ask-the-wrong-question/">Android or Windows: Most Buyers Ask the Wrong Question</a> details how planning for software should be done in conjunction with hardware choices.

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Hosting Environments Reliability Is Still King

While hotels might not have to withstand the harshest conditions of outdoor installations, displays still operate in challenging environments.

For instance, a lobby screen can run every single day.

Different visitors can use a wayfinding kiosk continually.

For example, a poorly designed display in a reception area can impact the visitor experience right away.

Important considerations include:

Stable operation

Easy maintenance

Suitable installation structure

Long-term availability

The service experience demanded of hospitality businesses requires part of that reliability.

The hotel image is backed up by a smoothly working digital screen.

Empty screens cause hassles.

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Things to Consider Before Installing Hotel Digital Signage

In deciding on a hospitality display solution, operators at hotels should consider several practical questions:

How will guests interface with the display?

A lobby, elevator area and conferencing and function (restaurant) area needs to be handled differently.

Who will update the content?

Each marketing team, hotel managers and IT department will have different expectations.

What information changes most frequently?

Our German and Japanese language daily updates support the occasional static hotel entry screen.

Is the system going to develop in future?

Many hotels start with one location and gradually add new displays as they spread throughout the property.

By weighing these factors early on, equipment will not be selected solely based on looks or upfront cost.

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A BIG HERALD: HOTEL DIGITAL SIGNAGE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO WITH GUEST!

Having a winning hospitality display project is not just about adding more screens.

It has to do how you can get the info easier.

Guests can find directions faster.

Hotel services are more discoverable.

Brand messages can be delivered more consistently.

The objective for hotel operators is not to replace human service with technology.

It is about deploying digital tools to ease the guest experience.

We at BESTSDT feel the best hospitality display solution begins when you understand your guests movement through your space, then pulling the right hardware and software together to support it.