Introduction
About 6-7 years ago, only the high-end branded hotels would have incorporated digital screens into their marketing strategy. This was a well-thought-out decision because they were obviously ahead of the curve. A few years later, the rest of the world caught up.
Today, many hoteliers are coming up with innovative strategies to move forward in the digital world – which means more than just putting up a few LED screens. In this article, we will discuss some benefits of why LED signage for hotels is beneficial and how they can be implemented to enhance guest experiences.
Why use LED signage in hotels?
Increase revenue
Digital signage offers hotel guests an enhanced experience, which means guests will recommend your hotel to others and will keep coming back to your hotel.
Another source of income for hotels using digital signage is by displaying paid advertisements of nearby local restaurants, malls, retail stores and other tourist attractions in their property. Not only will this benefit guests who are new to the area, but will also be an additional revenue for hotels.
Branding
A hotel can create innovative content strategies that will help develop its own brand. The customizing power of digital signage allows hotels to display attractive videos promoting their own facilities, amenities, accommodation and more to guests strolling around pathways. You can also show digital menu boards from in-house restaurants, promote loyalty programs, display special events and promotions; everything that has your brand name in it!
Customer engagement
The sky is the limit when using digital signage – attractive content is sure to grab the attention of your target audience. Encourage participation by showing social media feeds and offering guests incentives for posting about their experiences at your hotel. Customer engagement can also be pursued via interactive digital displays where customers browse through your digital concierge services and choose to read the information they want to know more about.
Disperse Information
Whether it be emergency alerts, weather forecasts, event information, or other hotel announcements, digital signage is highly useful in the dispersal of information to guests.
Types of LED Signage that can be used
Outdoor LED Signs
For hospitality digital signage, outdoor LED signs such as pylon signs and neon signs are a good way to make your brand stand out and attract customers to your location. Illuminated channel lettering is another eye-catching signage ideal for outdoor hotel use. To help visitors and staff navigate their way around a hotel property, exterior wayfinding signs are a good option.
Indoor LED Signs
Creating a positive experience for customers is done with the help of indoor LED signs. These could be in the form of directional, informational, interactive, and wayfinding. Interior wayfinding signs for guests and staff to move around seamlessly, directional signs for availing facilities such as gym, suites, meeting rooms, and informational signage for safety and other announcements.
Video Walls
Video walls are basically the wow factor in a hotel that creates a lasting impression for guests – an impression that will never be forgotten! Not only can you make a video wall part of the aesthetics appearance of a hotel but can also use it to display promotional and informational hotel-related content.
Ideas for using LED signage in hotels
Wayfinding
A large proportion of hotel guests are tourists visiting your hotel and the vicinity for the first time. Since it is all new to them, self-help directories and interactive wayfinding maps would be highly beneficial for guests to get to where they want, quickly and easily. You could get your guests familiar with all the neighboring attractions, malls, banks, how to get to places, opening and closing hours and other such important information.
One must keep in mind though that such digital signage will only succeed if placed in strategic locations such as lobbies, receptions, check-out counters and so on.
Advertising
Digital signage can be customized to meet every hotel’s branding needs. Hotels have the power to control how the signage is used and how to connect with guests.
Viewers are most engaged when the information on the display is useful to them. You could display advertisements alongside useful content so that viewers don’t feel used, and advertisers receive high returns on view rates.
Use features such as split screens or playlist scheduling to display multiple content. With split screen, zoned displays allow advertising content to be paired alongside ambient information. Playlist scheduling allows useful and engaging content to be mixed up with advertising clips from sponsors.
Another way in which hoteliers can make advertising content useful is by getting local restaurants, bars and attractions to place informative ads that will be of interest to hotel guests.
Information about events
Hotels may host events such as conferences, exhibitions and other celebrations to which they may want to invite in-house guests. Instead of audio announcements, use digital signage as an event management system to invite your guests and provide event schedules such as timings, venue, date and theme (if any). You can also display pictures and videos of similar events hosted in the past to generate interest, encourage participation and lure guests to attend the upcoming one.
Announcements
Important information can be conveyed via digital signage to hotel guests rather than depending on staff to convey messages manually. This is also beneficial for guests who tend to queue up at the reception to clarify basic queries. Here are a few announcements that can be made via hotel digital signage:
- Weather forecast for the current date and the next few days so guests can plan their itineraries accordingly.
- Notices and directions pertaining to different areas of the hotel (swimming pool, play area, restroom, conference room, etc).
- Special offers guests can avail with future bookings – this is a great way to build loyalty with customers.
Welcome greetings
Give your customers a warm customized welcome when they arrive at the hotel reception. Most bookings are made in advance online and hotels usually have basic personal information of guests in order to facilitate customized greetings. Even if you don’t have guest information before hand, you can enter it real time when they arrive. It just takes a minute to type it into the digital signage system, but the personalized greeting goes a long way in the customer’s first impression.
Moreover, with interactive signage, guests can speed up their check-in experience and reduce waiting times. Guests can enter additional personal information on the screens, after which they can be directed towards their allocated guest room.
Digital concierge services
Digital signage can also offer digital concierge services to guests such as information about hotel amenities and facilities. The screens can also help guests schedule and use property services such as the spa, restaurants, gymnasium and so on. Brochures and catalogs of hotel boutique shops can be displayed so guests can have a look and find out which store they should go to.
With the help of artificial intelligence, digital signage software applications, and in-room televisions, hotels can offer customer-facing technology to provide services such as planning business conferences, having flowers sent to a room, or making reservations at a restaurant.
Decorative purposes
With the installation of LED video walls in your hotel, aesthetic wall art can be incorporated. Your digital screens can display a mix of informative and attractive content at the same time for your guests.
Entertaining guests
Entertaining content is sure to attract and engage people, regardless of where they seem to be strolling around. Video clips and YouTube playlists are a great option for content management that is both entertaining as well as grand looking in a hotel lobby.
Think out of the box – create a playlist of travel blogs with best places to visit within your geographical location, and make it interactive using touch screens so the guests can scroll and choose what they want to display on the screen.
Flight & travel information
Hotel digital signage can also display travel updates for guests since the ambience is apt. Flight updates, neighboring bus and train stations, and other important travel-related information is helpful for guests to plan their journey accordingly. They can schedule their departure time from the hotel and figure out public transport routes to reach their destination.
Protecting guests
While greeting, entertaining, and informing guests are all important uses of hotel digital signage, another critical use of this technology is to ensure the safety of all guests on the property. When a number of digital screens are placed at different locations across the hotel and are connected to one network, an essential communication system can be put in place for emergency alerts. In the event of a fire, extreme weather conditions or other life-threatening hazards, guests can simply turn towards these digital screens and follow evacuation plans and other instructions such as:
- What guests should do?
- Where should guests go?
- How can guests access the necessary resources?
On large properties, where resorts have multiple buildings and amenities, important communication such as a missing child in the hotel or a separated family member can also be shared via digital signage. Operators can display instructions for where family members should go to connect with their loved ones.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a whole variety of ways that hotels can use digital signage solutions to enhance guest experiences by welcoming them with customized greetings, entertaining, serving, informing and protecting them. In fact, these are just a few examples of possibilities with digital signage. With digital screens, hotels have the power to customize their needs, wants, branding requirements and strategies to connect with their guests.
