Why digital signage in hotels is the ideal solution for forward thinking businesses.

With a guest’s impression of a hotel being formed in the first 10 minutes of arrival, as a hotelier you will be well aware of the importance of making a good first impression, and digital screens give you a perfect opportunity to do this. Picture a beautiful LED screen with stunning high resolution video playing in your hotel reception and lobby area. Put your guests at ease with unobtrusive visuals like a virtual fish tank, or display beautiful visuals of the area in which your guests are staying.

See this example

It’s easy to see how digital signage for hotels can help you to create an immediate impression with your guests. But the advantages of digital screens for hotels don’t stop there. Far from it! 

Digital signage provides a number of different possibilities and opportunities for hotels like yours. From creating that vital positive first impression, to providing assistance through manuals, guides and wayfinding, to advertising additional products and services, and even for internal staff purposes, the ways in which hotels can take advantage of digital screens are numerous, and the impact they can have is significant. 

So how can your hotel benefit from digital signage in hotels? We’ve put together ten possible uses of digital screens within your hotel, and why you should take advantage of them sooner rather than later. 

Reception & Lobby

Your reception and lobby areas is critical not only to your visitor’s first impression, but also to their overall experience in your hotel. Visitors to your hotel will want to be put at ease in your reception area, and there are many reasons why they may wish to spend some time there, from waiting for friends or fellow travel guests before leaving the hotel to moving to adjoining areas, such as the hotel restaurant or bar, your reception area acts as the focal point within your building. 

How digital signage can be used in your reception & lobby

• Away from desk signage

• Attractive & calming video walls

• Advertising opportunities

• News & weather updates

• Location based visuals & videos

Reception Desk

Take the strain off your reception staff by providing digital signage to display key information that your guests will want to know. While reception desk staff will be well versed in how to help guests at your hotel, by providing them with digital screen, you can help provide guests with additional information that they may be interested in, while at the same time alleviating the strain on your reception desk staff to fulfill all objectives with every single guest. This is particularly useful during very busy times, queuing guests can be provided with useful information while they wait, rather than having to wait until they get served. 

How digital screens can be used at your reception desk

• Keeping guests informed of any changes to procedures or protocols

• Providing useful information in relation to your guests’ stay with you

• Advertising & cross-selling your products and services

With 55% of travelers indicating that they would be more likely to visit a hotel that offers self check-in, you should also consider utilising digital signage for that purpose. 

Wayfinding

Hotels can be a labyrinth of identical corridors and rooms, and especially if your hotel is particularly large or sprawling in its layout. Hotel digital signage is a great way to provide maps to your guests right across your hotel. By making your maps and digital signage interactive, you can also let your guests know where they are currently in the building and even provide a step by step guide (much like google maps) on how to get where they are trying to go to. 

How digital signage can be used for wayfinding

• Provide clear guidance as to where your guests are in your hotel

• Give instructions telling them how to get to their desired location

• Provide additional information that may be of use i.e restaurant dining times

• Keep your guests updated with relevant news or changes within the hotel

Hotel Guides

Using digital screens as guides to all the exciting entertainment and activities available in your hotel is a great way to keep your guests informed and updated on the whole experience that your hotel can provide. If your guests are busy enjoying the local area, or they are in town on business, they may not have time to fully explore everything that your hotel has to offer. They may even be so unaware of the opportunities within your hotel that they wouldn’t even think to ask at reception about them. 

How digital signage can be used as guides

• Keep guests informed with up to date information

• Tell your guests about any classes or spa treatments you may have available

• Make your guests aware of any changes to usual service

• Make your screens interactive to better personalize the experience

Things to do in the area

Just like your hotel guides, by providing information on what guests can do in the local area, you are improving their overall experience with you. This is also a great way to promote any local partners you may have.

 How digital signage can be used as local area guides

• Provide up to date information in regard to visitor attractions

• Give useful details such as transport options and local maps

• Give recommendations such as places to eat or shop

• Let your guests know about local customs such as tipping

Visitor rooms

Rather than forcing your guests to ring reception to find out key information about their stay, which both inconveniences your guests and takes up your reception staff’s valuable time, by providing hotel room signage, they can find out all the information they need at the touch of a button. 

How digital signage can be used in visitor rooms

• Provide information in regard to hotel and local amenities

• Empower guests to answer their own questions

• Advertise products and services and promote local partners

Meeting Rooms

Hotels are not just used for hospitality purposes. Many hotels also provide rooms for local businesses to carry out meetings and events. Allow your guests to book meeting rooms interactively and to display when a meeting room is in use. 

Flight times

For airport hotels there are obvious reasons why displaying flight times within your hotel would be a clear advantage and great benefit to your guests. With more and more business being operated in and out of hotels however, displaying flight times in any prominent international hotels makes a lot of sense. 

Hotel restaurants

As signage for hotels are easily to update, they are a great means of keeping your guests up to date with the latest changes on your menu, or your very best offers right now. Unlike physical menus which can quickly become out of date and incur your time and money in printing over and over, digital screens offer a quick, efficient, easy and effective means of advertising new additions or changes to your menu. 

Employee notifications

As well as being a great tool for guest engagement, digital screens also offer opportunities for better internal communication. Keep your staff informed of the latest changes to procedures, increase efficiencies by reminding your staff about key training initiatives and boost morale with more personalized and targeted internal communication. 

Conclusion

Digital signage in hotels is a fantastic option. All hotels want to ensure that they are providing the best possible customer experience, and digital screens are the perfect way to achieve this. Printed materials and real face to face human contact with hotel concierge will always remain an important part of any hotel experience, but digital signage offers a number of fantastic advantages to any hotel looking to improve their overall customer satisfaction rating. 

Digital screens fill in the gaps where print and staff interaction can sometimes fall down, and also offer some real positive additions to overall customer and staff experience. Digital signage is a fantastic option for any forward thinking hotel.