In summary
- Wi-Fi is today a hotel's most reviewed service — appears in reviews before breakfast.
- A hotel needs at least four separate networksguests, operation, events and equipment.
- The problem is rarely the internet you're paying for — it's the poorly designed internal network.
- With a managed network, the hotel stop listening to complaints at reception — and DataRoad resolves it before the guest even notices.
In this article
Wi-Fi gets into the reviews — for better and for worse
Um hóspede perdoa muita coisa. Uma almofada mais dura, um elevador lento. O que não perdoa é não conseguir fazer a videochamada de trabalho no quarto, ou ver a série à noite com interrupções. E quando isso acontece, escreve — no Booking, no Google, no TripAdvisor.
O Wi-Fi tornou-se um critério de escolha do hotel tão real como a localização. A boa notícia: também funciona ao contrário. “Internet excelente em todo o hotel” é das frases mais comuns nas avaliações de 9 e 10.
The four networks of a well-run hotel
In a professional hotel, Wi-Fi isn't just one network — it's at least four, separate and secure:
- Guest network — fast, simple to use, isolated from everything else. Guest 204 must never be able to “see” the reception computer.
- Operational network — reception, management, PMS and invoicing. It is the heart of the hotel and lives protected.
- Events and function rooms network — for conferences and groups, with dedicated capacity that does not steal speed from the rooms.
- Equipment network — cameras, electronic locks, TVs and home automation, increasingly present and increasingly targeted by attacks.
We set up this exact architecture in units such as the LX Arch Hotel, on Rua Augusta in Lisbon — Wi-Fi 7, CCTV and full IT management.
Why hotel Wi-Fi fails
Quase nunca é da internet contratada. É das paredes grossas dos edifícios antigos, dos equipamentos domésticos a fazer trabalho profissional, e de redes que cresceram aos remendos — um router aqui, um repetidor ali.
O resultado: zonas mortas nos quartos do fundo, quebras ao passar do lobby para o bar, e uma equipa de receção transformada em linha de apoio técnico. A solução começa sempre por um site coverage surveyto measure, room by room, where the signal reaches and where it dies — and to design the network based on the reality of the building.
How DataRoad sets up hotel Wi-Fi
We work with hospitality for years and the process is always the same: coverage study in the building, design with the networks separated, installation of professional equipment carried out without disturbing guests, and continuous management — we monitor the network 24/7 and resolve issues before they appear in reviews. For hotel management, this translates into one simple thing: Wi-Fi is no longer an issue.
A chat before making a decision
Whether you’re tackling a specific problem, planning a move or simply looking for a second opinion, we always start in the same way: by understanding your situation before making any suggestions. No obligation, no jargon and no catalogues.
