Enhancing, Promote and Streamline
Operations Using Hotel Signage
Here’s why most hotels now use Digital Signage
Hotels to use digital signage include enhancing guest experiences with dynamic and interactive information, promoting on-site amenities and services effectively, and streamlining communication processes for staff, ultimately leading to improved guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Strategically positioned touch-enabled displays let hotel visitors access information in lobbies and open areas. While most people travel with some type of mobile device like a smartphone or tablet, touchscreens provide instant access to local weather, news and venue-specific information. To attract viewer’s attention, successful venue owners deploy high-quality hotel digital signage content that is relevant to guests right at the point of decision.
For example, a hotel may provide access to the restaurant menu, feature a list of activities, or screen information about the hotel’s amenities (pool, spa, etc.). To top it off, an interactive site map might also be accessible in the hotel lobby, so guests can navigate the site more easily. It’s all about providing a quality experience and making guests feel more welcome.
How digital displays streamline communications
Digital displays allow enable hotels to streamline communication by displaying important messages, restaurant menus, events and meeting room occupancy, improving guest-staff interactions and reducing wait times.
Hotels operate digital displays to promote onsite amenities such as spas, and recreational facilities, as well as to showcase special offers and upsell opportunities, increasing revenue streams.
The visually captivating nature of digital signage creates a modern and sophisticated atmosphere, leaving a positive impression on guests and enhancing the overall guest experience.
More interactivity, more opportunities to connect with guests
Touchscreens aren’t the only means to interact with hotel signage. Professional-grade CMS software solutions can be extended to communicate with external devices, sensors and back-office software to create more useful and engaging experiences.
Screens can feature motion sensors, Microsoft Kinect and RFID sensors to detect user interaction. When these technologies are interfaced together, great things can happen. Guests can change the content shown on screen by a wave of the hand or simply by walking in front of a display. Want to make the moment even more memorable? Show your Instagram or Facebook feeds on your displays and let guests post their vacation pictures. This is a great way to engage visitors and build a rapport with your guests.
Social media has emerged as an important content channel that everyone understands which is why it’s important to select a professional-grade CMS that can manage and broadcast this information efficiently.
Add a bit of Las Vegas into your hotel property
Want to see what’s possible with digital signage technologies? Look at the City that Never Sleeps! Las Vegas has become a true digital signage laboratory, where every cutting-edge screen technology is used to the fullest.
Learn some of the lessons from the big casinos and apply them to your hotel property.
Exploit every opportunity to wow your audience
Don’t just install a big flat screen TV in your hotel lobby. Go with a video wall instead. Maximize the impact of the installation with high quality video and animated content. Think of it as a living poster that changes continuously.
Make every moment memorable
Invest in high quality content and change your content often. Resist the urge to build your own content if you lack adequate resources in-house and can afford some professional design help. If you can’t justify getting custom content, consider professional stock video and photography. There are many resources available at every price point but it’s important to point out, bad content is sometimes worse than no content. Invest wisely.
Use professional audio-visual equipment specialists for all your installations
Professionals know how to install equipment so it’s secure and tamper-proof. You won’t see any wires hanging everywhere which will make your installation stand-out.
The best installations run on professional Digital Signage software
No digital signage installation is possible without the right CMS software behind it. When selecting a CMS platform to run your screen network, make sure you consider every aspect.
Here are some examples:
Look for digital signage software that offers a user-friendly interface that non-technical people can use. This will help your staff get up to speed quickly. So there is less time spent learning and more time spent delivering quality content.
Make sure your digital signage software is easy to install and manage. Some products are offered as Cloud-based applications. Other products, called On-Premise, require an on-site server and technical staff to perform ongoing maintenance. Look for the type of digital signage software that best matches your needs. For example, a hotel chain may decide to implement an On-Premise solution to service many properties. Whereas individual hotels may simply be fine with a cloud-based system. Note that your budget will also be a determining factor. Cloud-based digital signage software is priced at a monthly fee per player whereas On-Premise CMS licenses are purchased outright. It’s the difference between leasing software and purchasing it so consider both options and pick the one that matches your needs.
Consider a CMS (Content Management System) for smartphones in hotel featured by Navori is designed to manage and control content displayed on screens using smartphones as a control interface. This type of CMS enables hotel staff to easily post express messages, event announcements, update dining menus and local attractions, directly from their smartphones.
Hotels often need to screen real-time data from various sources
We’ve already covered social media and the current weather but there is so much more that you can do. For example, you can screen airline departure and arrival times, weather alerts, delays and security notifications, shuttle times, taxi phone numbers, and more. You will need digital signage software that is compatible with a wide range of live data. Some professional-grade software will also let you create and host databases locally without any programming or technical knowledge. These are the products that are the most flexible and effective to use.
When considering digital signage software, it’s important to consider the type of displays and standalone player hardware the system can support. Hotels can deploy a wide range of displays. From large exterior LED billboards, touchscreens, and video walls, all the way down to small Android tablets for meeting room signage. Navori CMS directly connects with the hotel management software to retrieve the schedule of meeting and conference room occupancy. The information is continuously updated on the screens.
Within this group, you may find displays that are mounted in different orientations (landscape or portrait) and even Smart TVs that include the standalone player in the display. Look for digital signage software that can support the widest range of hardware and applications.
Recommended hardware
A hotel digital signage solution comprises two hardware components: A media player operates by displaying content on a screen or display. Navori markets Stix, a media player device delivering big performance, Its micro size allows for effortless insertion behind each screen. It’s the ideal media player device for updating your digital signage software, with a hands-free deployment.