Multi-access edge computing (MEC) and 5G are changing the way we connect with each other and receive information from anywhere in real time. Data is no longer stored in faraway data centers, but at the edge of the network, closer to access centers and end-users’ 5G devices. These new technologies enable hotels to use cloud computing capabilities and IT service environments to reduce costs and significantly enhance guest in-room entertainment.
COVID has cost the hotel industry billions of dollars and presents many gaps in technology and pricing structures that no longer serve hoteliers and their businesses. One of the major mistakes in catastrophe budgeting was not accounting for the cost of in-room entertainment. This was a serious problem for any hotel establishment. The current costs incurred by inflexible pricing structures designed to trap properties in expensive commitments for half-baked content are prohibitive given the emerging platforms and offerings of streaming content.
Rather than buying a cable package for a 40-room lodge, a small property manager can provide smart TVs with capacity for individual Netflix logins. Recurring fees are rarely required. Plus, there are more ways than ever to customize premier streaming content packages that you can offer with custom hotel property branding through interactive displays that you can manage, optimize and monetize. Creating new revenue streams and reducing overcall costs for hoteliers, these interactive displays also act as 24/7 virtual concierge services.
Say goodbye to cable complexity
Cable is expensive, especially when property managers have to bear the same costs regardless of occupancy. For carriers, the first step in saving money on in-room entertainment is getting rid of cables. A new digital out-of-home (DOOH) content management system will allow hotels to cut the cords and deliver the content guests want. Best of all, the package pricing can be flexible depending on the booking, and the property can commit to paying only when a guest is booked into a room with streaming her content. These guest-centric systems provide the entertainment options your guests demand, from A-list movies and sports and music streaming to concierge-like services, at prices that are right for your property. There are various tiers of in-room entertainment models that operators can choose from, either consumption-based or premium.
Cable contracts often last for years, and hotels must continue to pay exorbitant rates even when rooms become available. DOOH entertainment systems reduce costs with flexible pricing. Thanks to consumption-based plans, hotel operators don’t have to pay when rooms are available. Properties can choose which streaming services to offer their guests, depending on their budget. Guests no longer have to put up with basic cable or pay-per-view options, but can stream live and on-demand TV shows, news, music, and even box office movies.
earn ad revenue
While using the DOOH network, hoteliers can monetize from customized advertising based on guest preferences and local services. Hotels can offer direct advertising for onsite restaurants and activities via a cloud content management system, or partner with local and regional businesses and attractions. While saving money by doing away with cable, properties can also increase revenue through advertising delivered directly to guests.Hoteliers can gain rich customer insights through real-time data analytics. I can do it. This inherently allows us to get to know our customers better, allowing us to choose more thoughtful and targeted advertising content. This highly personalized customer experience is constantly updated as new data comes in and is analyzed. This also increases brand loyalty. The more you know your customers, the more likely they are to book with you again.
Enhancing Internet and Infotainment Experiences with 5G
Need a general update to your hotel’s internet service? That’s a huge expense. But now there are companies that can rethink the entire hotel internet and infotainment system, installing 5G networks on site to provide lightning-fast internet speeds, increasing the speed and capacity of streaming content and content package delivery. , improve broadband coverage and support thousands of services.device, accessibility improvements When Provides better security. Customers want secure, fast internet and convenient entertainment. All this can be provided in one package.
Utilization of interactive customer experience technology
Personalized greetings and content options improve guest experience and ultimately increase hotel revenue. By moving human-intensive tasks to an online self-service concierge system, the hotel leverages his DOOH network to interact with customers from personal screens (phones, tablets) and in-room televisions using a distributed network. By doing so, you can also reduce labor costs. Or the screen of the selected location. Imagine using an in-room remote control to make a reservation, giving a passer-by his ticket for a concert as he walks near the venue on site, and browsing a calendar of events on a digital display. These critical touchpoints, where staff and concierges often spend time on the phone, can be redistributed through the new entertainment network of all-in-one service platforms.
In conclusion, hotel cable packages will soon be a thing of the past. All hotel providers should consider moving away from traditional in-room entertainment in favor of a more modern approach in order to deliver key wins in guest experience and increase budgets for future events.
Jeremy Ostermiller is co-founder and CEO of Edison Interactive, a cloud content management system (CMS) for connected devices.
Dana Sullivan Kilroy
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