2025 Smart Managed Tech Investments: Velocity’s Buyer’s Guide for Hospitality IT Leaders

The guest experience is more than how guests feel while staying at your hotels. It also includes what they’re posting about their stay online. According to HotelTechReport, 48% of guests rely on online reviews when deciding where to book their stay; and technology plays a significant role in guest satisfaction. In fact, reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi is the technology that’s most expected.  

Wi-Fi speed and availability are the top priorities of guests. To excel in those priorities, you need a strong managed technology partner, someone you can trust to make things as seamless as possible for both your guests and internal operations. This buyer’s guide gives you the road map you need to confidently make the decision of which partner you engage to support your business.  

Unique Challenges of Multi-Location Technology Solutions 

Multi-location hospitality enterprises require extensive strategizing and planning to ensure implementation is done consistently across all locations. You also need to establish a framework that allows for scalability and consistency of experience. This is where a technology partner comes in—not to replace your IT department, but to complement it in several ways: speeding up the implementation process, bringing in specialized knowledge, and providing 24/7/365 support, just to name a few.  

Ideally, you should partner with someone who can wear all the hats: consulting, implementation, project management, provides end-to-end managed solutions, and operates their own call centers and repair centers. Spoiler alert: Velocity does.  

But before we get into those details, let’s look at how certain modifications to the solutions you already have can boost your revenue.  

Tech Modifications That Boost Your Bottom Line 

You already offer Wi-Fi and telephone as basic features in your hotels, and you might be taking an “if it’s not broken, why fix it?” approach. But there are simple upgrades that would likely result in long-term savings, as well as providing an additional source of revenue.  

POTS Conversion 

Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) is a legacy technology. Yes, it’s been effective and trustworthy for many decades, but for it to function properly, providers need to maintain the copper lines installed; and in 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued Order 19-72A1, requiring all POTS lines in the country to be replaced with next-generation connectivity, such as Voice over IP (VoIP) or cellular LTE/5G. While there are still POTS lines that are being used, the reality is that many of them are no longer being maintained. Carriers aren’t required to do so, and they’re prioritizing VoIP and fiber optics. As a result, the outdated copper lines are becoming obsolete, and the costs associated with keeping them have increased exponentially for the end user.

By switching to VoIP, the average hospitality enterprise saves between $480 and $2,880 per year on a single line. Upgrade 100 lines, you could save between $4,000 and $24,000 per month. Upgrade 1,000 lines, and you could save between $40,000 and $240,000 per month. [1]

Performance Monitoring 

Hotels depend on reliable telecom infrastructure—both from the operational standpoint as well as for the guest experience. For example, reliable VoIP and strong Wi-Fi are necessary for internal communications. Likewise, buffer-free in-room streaming is crucial to keep guests happy and more likely to return for future stays. 

A technology partner who’s proactive at monitoring performance ensures fast service, even when there’s heavy demand. They can also detect potential issues before they become a problem that ends up costing you more money to fix.  

Captive Portals 

The right technology partner enables you to create captive portals aimed at capturing a higher spend per guest, such as with tiered Wi-Fi options and promoting on-site paid amenities and services. In addition, this solution can be used to sell ad space and to implement loyalty programs to drive repeat visits.  

Finally, these portals also enable you to collect guest data to provide a personalized experience and tailored marketing communications. 

Bandwidth on Demand 

Having fast and reliable Internet access in every corner of every location is the baseline for what guests expect, and while you may have it on a day-to-day basis, holidays, conventions, and any other peak seasons may cause the service to slow down.  

While most Internet service providers offer some level of bandwidth on demand, it’s easier to provide you with tailored solutions if your technology partner has an extensive network backbone. Bonus points if they have their own network and the ability to offer the best pricing while creating the optimal solution tailored for your specific needs.  

Telecom Expense Management (TEM) 

Juggling multiple telecom vendors comes with the territory; but the longer the list, the more likely it is that you’re overpaying for services. This can be due to invoice errors, unused services, or failing to realize that you can get the same solutions for better pricing elsewhere.

In fact, on average, companies that implement a TEM solution cut their costs by about 16% in their overall expenditures, and between 7% and 10% in contract validation processes.  

When researching the best options, look for partners with:  

• An intuitive interface 
• Audits that ensure security compliance 
• A single payment for all telecom expenses 
• Simplified contract renewals  

And when you narrow down your favorite selections, take a close look at their customer support: 

• How often are they available?  
• Will a real person answer your calls, or is there an endless queue of automated menu options?  
• What’s the average wait time for someone to resolve any issues?  

The golden ticket is a TEM solution that’s easy to use and a partner that provides an above and beyond customer experience. You don’t have time to be on hold all day.  

Digital Signage  

Replacing signs, bulletin boards, flyers, and other forms of printed guest communications with digital signage brings a long list of benefits: real-time updates, personalized messaging, consistency, streamlined operations, and reduced printing costs, to name a few. This solution can also generate revenue by displaying ads or promoting on-site amenities to enhance the guest experience.  

US-Based Customer Support 

If you are experiencing issues with your Wi-Fi, other telecom technology, or hardware, you need a solution now. Disruptions to operations or guest satisfaction are going to hurt you, and the longer you wait, the larger the impact.

24/7/365 US-based customer support—one where an actual human being answers the phone—makes all the difference.

In addition, you want them to have full visibility into your network(s), as well as the ability to either troubleshoot remotely or deploy a technician to arrive at any of your locations, nationwide ASAP.  

Optimize costs by auditing your technologies 

Now that you’re aware of often overlooked ways to boost your revenue, the next step is to do an audit of your existing hotel management technologies.  

1. Look for indications that it’s time to upgrade the guest experience.

If a guest can’t connect to Wi-Fi, or if they have to move to a specific area in the hotel to get coverage, that’s a problem. Look at your guest satisfaction surveys, net promoter scores (NPS), and online reviews. Are guests happy? What is the likelihood of them returning? A couple of bad reviews can ruin a hotel. Don’t wait to see if bad network coverage becomes a trend.  

2. Review your contracted rates with your incumbent providers.

Some price increases may be warranted, such as increasing bandwidth capacity or value-added services. But when the prices go up, look to see what competitors are charging for the same solutions. Often, CLEC [2] can offer better pricing and customized solutions due to their increased access to network infrastructure. 

3. Check whether your facilities are keeping up with technology. 

Hardware can become dated in a handful of years, and this can result in dropped Internet connections, difficulty connecting with the front desk, calling for room service, and/or delayed responses when communicating internally with hotel staff. If any of these issues are happening at any of your locations, it’s time for an upgrade.  

If your budget doesn’t allow for that solution right now, you should still discuss your concerns with your technology partner(s). Transparency is key to getting the best recommendations for your needs. A good partner will listen to what’s realistic for you, then give you the pros and cons of, say, staying with your current systems and making minor adjustments or the steps you need to take in preparation for scaling your business.  

At Velocity, we take care of each of these steps for you. We even make things as easy as possible even if you can’t make the big splurge right now; for example, handling communications with manufacturers, documenting everything, and escalating things on your behalf. We make the process as smooth as possible for our customers.  

Key questions to ask when vetting tech partners  

Speaking of upgrades, think long-term. What is the total cost of ownership when all components are considered? Specifically, ask your partner(s) the following questions:   

What can they offer you vis-à-vis, from a price point perspective?  

Good things cost money. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to throw cash away because the cost of doing business is expensive. When considering a tech partner, ask them to provide you with an apples-to-apples type proposal: a mirror image of the solutions you have right now with what they can offer you, along with upgrade options such as faster Internet circuits.  

While this process may sound cumbersome if you have too many locations, a good tech partner should be able to do an analysis with a handful of your top performing hotels.  

Are they truly end-to-end? 

There is no shortage of managed services providers; and that’s great! Having multiple options drives competition. However, many providers only manage desktops, applications, and servers; while the best ones can also provide connectivity, project management, and implementation. While it’s possible to have separate vendors for each of these components, things move along a lot smoother (and faster!) when you can get it all through a single provider. This is valuable under any circumstances, but even more so when you’re working with large-scale enterprise rollouts with a large location footprint.  

Are they scalable? And if so, can they future-proof all your locations?  

If you know there will be expansions in the foreseeable future, talk about whether the systems you’re looking to install can handle the larger capacity. You want a guarantee that the solutions you choose can scale and evolve according to your needs and new technologies. Specifically, ask about tech integrations to make sure that all systems can communicate with your technology stack; and discuss how as new updates emerge, you can ensure cybersecurity. 

Do they guarantee their Internet availability and speed with strong Service Level Agreements (SLAs)?  

You want reliable connectivity, and you want it to be fast. The ideal way to ensure both is to have a tech partner that has access to a diverse range of carriers and that proactively monitors all those connections. This allows them to leverage their scale and buying power to drive resolution that a smaller business wouldn’t be able to do. In addition, a vendor with access to multiple carriers can ensure you get the speed you’ve ordered. 

How do they ensure network resiliency?  

Future-proofing your technology solutions only works well if your tech partner(s) offers robust redundancy. Do they have backup systems in place? What are their failover mechanisms? Are they reactive or proactive about monitoring your systems? Can they reroute network traffic if service is disrupted?  

You’ll also want to know how quickly they can deploy a technician to provide service in the event your systems are down, and how many equipment depots they have across the country. Can someone get to you today? Do they have enough technicians nationwide?

As a multi-location enterprise, you want the peace of mind that someone is ready to assist you anywhere, as soon as you need it.  

Inquire about billing and transitions overlaps.  

One of the reasons why switching providers tends to be a point of friction is because there is often an overlap in time where you’re charged by the provider whose services you’re ending and the new provider. Even if your old contract was about to expire, you may be subject to fees if notice isn’t given within a specific timeframe. Then there are additional related issues, such as data migration, or disruptions to the guest experience.  

You’ll want to know whether the new solution(s) you’re seeking can be aligned with the termination of the previous contract, whether prorated billing is available for the first month, and the project management and implementation processes to ensure that the switch goes as smoothly as possible. 

What’s the implementation process like?  

A lot of providers offer a list of viable solutions, but they’re not managing and monitoring the implementation; and well-executed project management is a big deal. If they offer this solution, ask whether their managers are PMI [3] certified.  

In addition to the certification, you want a provider who offers customized deployment strategies that are mindful of your timeline requirements and budget.  

Do their technologies integrate with your existing equipment?  

A good tech partner will ensure that all systems can interoperate with your technology stack, even if you’re still using legacy systems. And if you’re still working with these older systems, you want your provider to ensure you’re not exposed to security vulnerabilities.  

Granted, having the most cutting-edge technologies is the best-case scenario, but not all budgets can accommodate a best-case scenario. Ask for the good, the better, and the best plausible solutions to your needs. Find someone who’s going to be flexible with their recommendations and who works to find solutions that fit your budget and your brand.  

Can they provide you with full visibility of each of your hotels’ technologies?  

Calling customer support and having a real person answering the phone with full visibility into your network is an excellent competitive advantage, eliminating long wait times and having to repeat your story ten times. If that technology is available to a tech support specialist, it should also be available to you. A good tech partner can enable you to see how all your hotels are performing from a single centralized location—and, with Velocity, we mean everything: circuits, VoIP, Internet, Free-To-Guest (FTG) TV, and other media. 

What practices are in place to ensure security compliance?  

Security breaches can land you in litigation and cost you your reputation. When evaluating tech partners, ask them about how they manage cybersecurity. The NIST 800-53 framework [4] is an excellent starting point; but implementing additional controls, such as SOC, Type II [5] raises the bar, and you’ll want a third party validating that they’re executing on those controls. Finally, ask about the timeframe of their incident look-back period, so that you can have proof they’ve been executing and following those policies and procedures.  

What’s their risk mitigation and disaster recovery process? 

Ask prospective vendors what their plan is to mitigate disasters. What would happen if their headquarters were hit by a natural disaster that damages their main data centers? Do they have backups? How redundant are their data centers? In a nutshell, how resilient is their company, and by extension, how does that ensure your own systems? 

How’s their customer support? 

You are likely well acquainted with the aggravation that comes with dealing with a long list of recorded menu options. It’s as if humans no longer exist in customer service. Yet, only a human can resolve your problems. The annoyance grows exponentially when lackluster support affects your guest experience, your operations, and ultimately, your revenue.  

Avoid these issues by asking potential tech partners about their customer support.  

• What are their hours of operation?  
• What are the average wait times for callers?  
• Does a real person answer the phone?  
• How many ways can customers reach out for support? (phone, chat, email, tickets) 
• How fast are issues resolved?  

The same way guests are your priority, your business should be theirs.  

The result? A seamless guest experience.  

It’s easy to get bogged down in the details when looking for the ideal tech partner, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated. Think about the most relatable aspects of being a guest at a hotel. If you have a family of four, how easy is it going to be for the parents to connect their kids’ devices to the network? And if they can’t do it, how do you resolve that situation? What kind of experience can a guest expect? Often, guests are tired or simply trying to get their children online ASAP, so any issues they experience connecting to Wi-Fi result in frustrations. How does the provider address stressed guests to ensure an enjoyable experience? These are things that you want to ask about.  

By the same token, think of guests who are traveling for work, or those who are visiting your hotel for a conference. How do you manage elevated bandwidth consumption? At what kind of speeds? What’s the experience people will have? Choppy phone calls? Slow Internet?  

When the COVID-19 pandemic started and large groups of people were working from hotels, many locations couldn’t handle the increased bandwidth requirements of teleworkers. That scenario was unforeseeable at that time, but there are many things that you already know will affect the quality of connectivity. You want a network that supports multiple people streaming content. Yet, you still have guests who just want to have background noise and don’t want to spend time logging in, so you still need reliable Free-To-Guest TV. And for those who do want to log in to their streaming platforms, you can do them a favor by ensuring that they’re automatically logged out of their accounts by the time they check out.  

Think of what would make guests’ lives easier every single moment of their stay and ask prospective tech partners if they meet these requirements. Anything short of that is unacceptable.  

If you’re ready for an end-to-end managed solutions provider who’s also a technology partner, let’s talk. Velocity offers everything we’ve discussed in this buyer’s guide and more.  

Request more information here about how we can help solve your multi-location hospitality tech challenges.

[1] Your actual savings will depend on how much you’re currently paying for each POTS line and any potential bundled pricing offered by your technology partner.

[2] Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. This means that the technology partner is approved to provide local telephone and internet services in competition with large telecom companies. 

[3] Project Management Institute, a professional organization that provides resources for gold-standard certifications.  

[4] Cybersecurity standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the federal government.  

[5] Systems and Organizations Control, a cybersecurity framework created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).