Why Smart Tech is Essential for Hospitality Businesses
Public TV stations and movies on demand no longer cut it. Instead, hotel owners should revisit their commercial TV fleets to ensure they deliver what customers want.
Understanding the Benefits of Commercial TV Fleets for Hotels
Modern hotels have embraced the idea of improving the customer experience by allowing guests to connect smart devices to the hotel TV. They can also install smart TVs in hotel rooms to let guests access popular apps and programs.
Providing over-the-top (OTT) streaming services is one benefit of upgrading their commercial TV fleets. When not logged in to streaming services, hotel TVs can also work as digital directories that display contact information for the hotel’s many services.
They also allow users to surf the web, access social media platforms, or connect to online gaming and entertainment sites.
What’s more, when configured to work with a smart room system, TVs can serve as the control center. Guests can use the TV remote to operate the room’s lights, audio, temperature, and appliances.
Smart TVs can also function as digital billboards or slideshows. This makes them the perfect display devices in common areas such as lobbies, reception halls, restaurants, or function rooms. At the same time, these devices can also play videos or advertisements that can promote the hotel’s many offerings.
In a pinch, smart TVs can even serve as digital kiosks or self-service terminals. Using these devices, guests can self-register, view their bills, or check out without needing assistance.
How Android TV Manager Enhances the Guest Experience
Deploying a commercial TV fleet often involves hundreds, if not thousands, of TVs and set-top boxes. Initially, hotels must assign one TV per room (the average U.S. hotel contains 313 rooms). In addition, management will need to provide replacement units, TVs for common rooms, and display units for the lobby and reception areas.
To provide a seamless guest experience that’s also cost-effective, many hotels choose Android TV as their operating system of choice.
The Google-powered operating system provides an easy way for administrators and guests to operate TVs and add functionality. It also allows guests to connect their devices more easily. Finally, Android TV enables access to popular applications such as streaming platforms and social media channels.
In contrast, using proprietary operating systems developed by TV brands can limit your freedom to choose hardware suppliers. Unlike updates regularly provided by Google for Android TV, your devices might have to endure long wait times for system updates or urgent fixes.
Implementing a Customized Content Strategy with Device Management Software
Managing and maintaining this commercial TV fleet will require reliable device management software. It will also need your system administrator’s attention when performing regular tasks such as installing apps or updating software.
Commercial TV fleets may also require around-the-clock security monitoring and countermeasures deployment. As such, relying on off-the-shelf solutions or free device managers might not be satisfactory.
Specifically, the right device management should perform the following functions:
Maintenance and Management
The ideal device management software should have no problem performing cloud-based and low-level device management, such as over-the-air (OTA) updates and ad-hoc support. Using cloud support, system administrators can easily connect to individual devices and perform the needed fixes and updates during down times, when the devices are idle. Remote management reduces or eliminates the need for user intervention, which means fewer costly support calls or onsite visits.
This way, all hotel room TVs and common area displays remain updated and ready for use. Even better, guests won’t have to endure time-consuming updates before they can use the TV.
Security
Realizing many guests might forget to log out of their hotel room TV after checking out, the ideal device manager should perform this function.
Every time a guest checks out, the system admin can remotely log users out of all hotel devices. They can also clear the devices of any remaining private data. So, when a new guest checks in, the room TV will not record previous logs.
In addition, device management security prevents guests from fiddling with the TV too much. Admins can prevent them from tweaking system settings, installing unauthorized apps, or viewing private data. They’ll also nix attempts to go beyond authorized usage by shutting down or disabling any device remotely.
Maximizing Revenue and Loyalty With Commercial TV Solutions for Hotels
To provide guests with an enhanced customer experience, upgrading the commercial TV fleet is the way to go. When offering smart TV functionality, hotels have two choices.
The first option is to upgrade the entire fleet to smart TVs and allow unbridled access to their many services. Alternatively, hotels that wish to retain their existing flatscreen TVs can still go smart. Investing in set-top boxes or USB sticks can add smart TV functionality to each device.
Giving guests the ability to cast their devices or log into streaming services via hotel TVs allows them to enjoy their stay more. In fact, in a 2020 survey, both guests and hoteliers confirmed that enjoying streaming services on the hotel TV is a preferable experience versus video-on-demand.
Embrace the New Normal with a Smart Commercial TV Fleet
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, many turned to streaming services over regular and cable TV. Streaming services like Netflix make entire series available for binge-watching. And if you can’t finish the show in one sitting, simply log in anytime to resume it.
With travel restrictions lifted, business travelers and tourists are now bringing their playlists with them to their destinations. In the absence of any scheduled activity, hotel guests want nothing more than to lie down and watch their favorite streaming shows.
By investing in commercial TV fleets that allow streaming and other smart features, hotels give guests what they want. The increased functionality provides an unmatched customer experience, which will drive loyalty to your hotel and boost your revenue.
