As technology pushes businesses forward, the traditional image of hospitality signage has become a thing of the past. Static signage is sterile, dated, and inflexible, lacking the interactivity that modern hotel guests expect in every facet of their visits. To meet these new expectations, hotels need to evolve.
Digital signage is the future of hotel signage. Combining interactive information displays with customizable design, hotels that leverage digital signage strengthen their business in several ways. Let’s dive into how hotels can leverage digital signage to create unforgettable guest experiences, and review a few suggestions on how to best utilize digital signage technology in the hospitality industry.
Merging In-Room Entertainment and Digital Signage
Many hotels resist digital signage solutions due to a fear of change. Updating an entire hotel with digital signage seems like it would require additional monitors, a more powerful network, and extensive changes to hotel infrastructure.
What most hotels don’t realize is that they already have access to dozens, sometimes hundreds of opportunities to offer digital signage directly to their guests: in-room televisions.
Televisions have become a staple of hotel rooms across the country. Rooms without televisions are the vast exception to the rule, to the point that guests are shocked if they enter a room without one.
While traditional televisions in hotel rooms tend to offer standard cable and video-on-demand fare, the capabilities of in-room entertainment (IRE) are rapidly expanding. These innovations include access to gaming, compatibility with popular streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube, and, of course, digital signage solutions.
Intuitive Uses of Digital Signage in Hospitality
Digital signage integrated with IRE offers diverse opportunities to create new guest experiences and drive revenue to your business. These solutions offer just a taste of what digital signage can do for your hospitality business. Ultimately, the capabilities of IRE digital signage extend as far as your creativity allows.
1. Personalized Digital Welcomes
Digital signage for hotel rooms offers limitless ways to customize your messaging, targeting hyper-specific audiences from room to room. Whereas more traditional methods of digital signage have to appeal to a broad audience, merging IRE with digital signage lets you craft messaging designed exclusively for individual guests.
This specificity allows hoteliers to add a more personal touch to each guest’s room experience. Whether celebrating a birthday or anniversary, sharing a congratulatory message through digital signage shows guests that the hotel cares about their achievements.
Even without an occasion to celebrate, digital signage can welcome guests by their name, their organization, or the conference they’re attending. Speaking of conferences…
2. Instant Access To Event Scheduling
Just as hoteliers can target guests with personalized greetings, in-room digital signage can display important event information directly to the rooms of conference attendees.
When attending a convention, guests can struggle to find their way in unfamiliar spaces. Providing event information to guest rooms, including maps, directions, and schedules gives visitors a central hub to plan their day and effectively navigate your hotel premises. Guests will notice this added convenience and might look to book more events at your hotel in the future.
3. Convenient Information About Hotel Amenities
Beyond targeting specific guests with messaging, in-room digital advertising can promote hotel amenities to guests across the premises. Digital ads can showcase amenities including spas, restaurants, gyms, and more, including rates, hours, and how to get there from their room. By eliminating the need to look up information about amenities themselves, these ads encourage guests to use them.
These ads can also offer more information than they initially appear. Implement QR codes for guests to scan and immediately access appointment websites, room-service menus, restaurant wine lists, and more. Once again, these informative displays save valuable time spent searching for information online and get more guests to take advantage of the unique services your hotel offers.
4. Turnkey Digital Advertising
In-room digital advertising doesn’t stop at hotel amenities; it can also extend beyond the scope of your services. From exciting attractions to five-star restaurants, the advertising capabilities of your in-room digital signage extend as far as you’re willing to take them.
This type of advertising also offers hotels valuable opportunities for revenue-sharing. If a guest books an appointment or converts into a customer for any of these businesses, hotels can negotiate with these businesses to get a cut of the revenue earned and add another source of income from their digital signage.
In-Room Entertainment for Your Hotel With Hospitality Network
Hotel room digital signage displays offer versatile opportunities to strengthen your hospitality business. Incorporating even one of the uses above might lead to measurable positive experiences for your guests, benefiting your overall business.
At Hospitality Network, we offer comprehensive IRE platforms, including all-in-one access to VOD, streaming services, and digital signage. Want to learn more about how a connected approach can support your hospitality business? Consult our dedicated hospitality representatives for a free consultation today.