Why Wi-Fi is No longer a Luxury in Hospitality- It’s a Necessity

In today’s connected world, Wi-Fi has become as essential to guests as any other amenity in their hotel room. Whether they are on a business trip taking video calls, attending virtual meetings or simply watching Netflix with family in the evening, reliable internet access is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.

How Omada Meets Evolving Guest Expectations

Modern guests arrive with multiple devices—smartphones, tablets, laptops and they expect fast, seamless connectivity across all of them. Omada rises to this challenge by providing enterprise-grade access points (APs), switches, gateways and controllers that support hotels in delivering excellent customer service.

The Omada platform offers a software-defined networking (SDN) solution specifically designed for high-traffic environments like hotels. Through the Omada system, all APs, switches, gateways and controllers can be centrally managed, allowing IT teams to troubleshoot any issues from anywhere, anytime.

Flexible Access Point Solutions for Every Environment

Omada provides multiple AP types to suit any installation requirement. Whether you need ceiling-mounted, wall-mounted or outdoor coverage, there’s a solution that fits any hospitality needs.

Ceiling-Mounted Options: The EAP653 and EAP670 are ideal choices, featuring the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology and delivering speeds of up to 3,000 Mbps and 5,400Mbps respectively.

Wall-Plate Solutions: These Wi-Fi 6 units offer speeds ranging from 1,775Mbps to 3,6000Mbps, perfect for delivering seamless, reliable, high-performance coverage in guest rooms and conference rooms.

Outdoor Coverage: The EAP610 and EAP650 provide Wi-Fi 6 with long-range, weatherproof coverage. Through Omada SDN’s centralised cloud management, these units can deliver up to 3,000Mbps of throughput for outdoor areas and terraces.

The Business Case for High Performance Wi-Fi

Free, fast and reliable Wi-Fi is one of the key criteria guests consider when choosing accommodation. According to a study shared by Commsplus, 90% of UK guests rate room Wi-Fi as ‘very important’, whilst 65% say Wi-Fi significantly influences their decision to stay at a particular hotel. Poor connectivity leads to negative reviews, with 75% of guests citing poor signal coverage as their number one frustration.

Conversely, excellent Wi-Fi can significantly boost guest satisfaction. While most modern APs use Wi-Fi 5 or 6 as standard, Omada by TP-Link offers Wi-Fi 7 capability, which utilises twice the MHz bandwidth of Wi-Fi 6. This represents a significant improvement in speed, capacity and latency compared to its predecessors, enabling high- performance speeds even in high density environments.

Professional Network Design and Deployment

To ensure optimal signal strength, as part of their service, Omada provide complimentary heat mapping and network design services to determine the correct number of APs required on-site. The technical team identify coverage gaps and ensure comprehensive coverage throughout the property and build the recommendations to support optimal performance.

When it comes to installation, all APs are pre-labelled before deployment, ensuring immediate coverage once installed. Beyond the hardware, Omada by TP-Link provides extensive expertise in both wired and wireless technologies to deliver the best possible advice for each unique environment.

Enhancing the Guest Experience

Robust and reliable Wi-Fi infrastructure supports a range of digital services that elevate the guest experience:

• Mobile check-in and check-out
• Smart room controls (lighting, temperature, entertainment systems)
• Streaming services and digital entertainment platforms

These conveniences improve guest satisfaction. Whether guests are in conference rooms or hotel suites, they enjoy seamless roaming throughout the property without experiencing dropouts, as devices automatically connect to the nearest access points.

Operational Efficiency Behind the Scenes

Wi-Fi infrastructure supports critical hotel operations, from cloud-based property management systems to smart security and energy management solutions. A robust network enables staff to communicate more effectively and respond to guest needs more rapidly reducing operational costs and staff workload.

Security – Watchguard

Whilst connected to the network, guests require good security. WatchGuard is renowned for its fast and secure Wi-Fi cloud platform. This platform allows for:

• Segmentation of guest and corporate networks, ensuring guests can browse safely without risking internal systems
• Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS) to detect and block rogue access points and malicious activity.

Wi-Fi networks can also provide valuable insights into guest behaviour, the cloud-based Wi-Fi can monitor usage and performance. With proper consent and privacy safeguards, hotels can analyse usage patterns to personalise services, tailor marketing efforts, and improve overall guest engagement.

For staff and administrations, AuthPoint MFA helps secure access to internal systems, reducing the risk of breaches due to weak or stolen passwords, an area known for being targeted in hospitality IT environments. With tools such as WatchGuard Dimension, IT teams can

• Visualise network activity
• Receive alerts on suspicious behaviour
• Generate reports for audits and security reviews.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

Legrand also provide UPS. Having continuous power available is critical in the hospitality industry. Power outages can be the cause of huge problems including at hotel check-in systems and payment processing. That’s why having either a single phase or three phase UPS system from Legrand is ideal as when there is a cut in power, the system can keep critical systems online until a backup generator is online or power is restored.

This doesn’t just apply to just the technology either, things such as fire alarms, CCTV and emergency lighting are all required to be operating when there is a power cut. A UPS provides that.

Scalable to fit size

Regardless of property size, both TP-Link and WatchGuard offer scalable, cost-effective solutions for hospitality businesses of all scales, from boutique hotels to large resort complexes.

Conclusion

Wi-Fi is no longer merely a utility—it’s a cornerstone of the modern hospitality experience. Investing in high-quality, secure and reliable internet access isn’t just good service; it’s smart business that directly impacts guest satisfaction, operational efficiency and ultimately, improving guest retention. Afterall, there’s only one thing that matters in hospitality – that your customer comes back again.