The Age of Connectivity: Southeast International on Digital Developments

We all live in the age of connectivity. These days, everything is digitally connected, or at least compatible, with everything else. As experienced hotel brokers, Southeast International has seen some of the ways this technology has been a boon to the hospitality industry. In this blog entry, we’d like to share some our favorites with you.

A Room With No Key

If you own a smartphone, you might have had some experience with Near Field Communication, or NFC. NFC in modern cell phones allows them to connect with nearby enabled devices without making contact. The most common use of this at the moment is quick and easy contactless payments at stores, using compatible card readers.

Southeast International has seen many hotels that are now making use of this technology to introduce keyless entry to their rooms. This has the potential to make things much quicker and easier for staff and guests alike as well as increasing security by making sure room entry is limited to the guest’s most personal device. Security is also further improved by hotels using the same technology to allow entry into the building itself.

Smartphones and Smart Room Service

The ability of your smartphone to sync with other devices is a great addition to convenience in many ways, whether you’re sharing documents, messages, or even music and movies. This quick and simple convenience is another addition to the benefits of smartphone integration for hotels.

One of the perks is being able to use your own personal device to order room service. While in-room telephones are still common in the majority of hotels, being able to text or message a number or being able to access menus without having one in-room, increases convenience for guests. The professionals at Southeast International recommend giving your guests the opportunity to make room service orders with their handheld devices.

An App-Based Environment

Taking this integration even further, higher-end and higher-tech hotels are now using smartphone connectivity to allow guests to control their in-room environment. Thermostat control that lets guests control their room temperature from their phone can extend to outside the hotel, allowing them to set or change times and temperatures remotely.

Rooms fitted with modern Smart TVs can also allow guests to synchronize their phones with their screens. The ability to access your own media library while you’re on-the-go is one of the greatest advantages of smartphones in modern society, and being able to connect to a hotel TV makes a stay all the more comfortable.

Better, Faster Wifi

Of course, if you do introduce these kind of advancements to your hotel, it’s important to be able to actually provide adequate speed in your connections. Having all the connectivity you could possibly want is dampened substantially by a slow or inconsistent internet connection or by a weak wifi signal.

This is especially important now that streaming services have become so commonplace. Giving guests access to easy and reliable streaming entertainment is an easy way to add another star to their review.

Strong Digital Security

Southeast International always places emphasis on security. With the ability to stay connected at all times, potential security hazards become more commonplace, too. Security has always been a priority for a hotel, but now concerns move from physical security to digital security.

Protecting guest’s private data, as well as your own, is extremely important, and advances in encryption and extra precautionary measures—such as two-step verification for devices—are a reliable way of enhancing how safe your connected hotel is.

Southeast International on the Importance of Staying Connected

As a world leader in hotel sales, Southeast International understands the importance of digital connectivity in the age of the internet. If you need advice while looking to sell or buy a hotel, contact us today.