Hotels Turn to AV Automation to Cut Costs and Boost Service

Hotels Turn to AV Automation to Cut Costs and Boost Service

Hospitality venues face mounting pressure to deliver premium experiences with smaller teams. Hotels, restaurants, and event spaces are increasingly turning to AV, control, and automation technologies not just to impress guests, but to make daily operations more efficient and sustainable.

The shift reflects a dual challenge: guests expect seamless technology experiences, but staff need systems simple enough to operate without constant troubleshooting. Michelle Guss, VP of hospitality at Crestron, notes that when a restaurant manager can set music, lighting, and video for the dinner rush with a single touch, staff can focus on service rather than technology. That operational simplicity becomes critical as hotels struggle with staffing shortages.

Hans Vereecken, vice president of international sales at Bose Professional, sees the same dynamic in audio. Guests now expect premium sound quality everywhere, but operators must deliver it within practical constraints. Networked audio architectures allow complex systems to work seamlessly behind the scenes, while automated room-combining controls use magnetic sensors in partition walls to reconfigure audio zones when spaces are split or joined. Time-scheduling can pre-program music transitions throughout the day to match different clienteles.

Cloud Platforms Replace On-Premise Racks

The hospitality sector has largely abandoned isolated on-premise systems in favor of cloud-based platforms. Nigel Bateson, head of reseller/hospitality Europe at Uniguest, recalls shipping full 19-inch equipment racks to properties in the past. Now those systems have moved to the cloud, reflecting the reality that most hotels lack on-site technical teams.

Centrally managed platforms give hotel groups consistent control over TV systems, digital signage, casting, and guest services across properties. When a new hotel opens under a major brand, the system can be provisioned with the correct look and feel automatically, ensuring brand compliance without manual configuration. Remote visibility also allows integrators to monitor display status and create proactive maintenance tickets before guests complain about black screens.

Bateson notes that software-as-a-service models have helped some integrators shift from transactional product sales to recurring revenue through professional services, content updates, and lifecycle management consulting.

Building Integration Creates Scalability

Casto Cañavate, marketing manager at KNX Association, argues that hospitality technology should be viewed as part of a wider smart building ecosystem. KNX provides a building automation layer that allows lighting, HVAC, shading, access control, and sensors to work together. In hotels, each room typically operates independently, but the system must scale as rooms are reconfigured, buildings expand, or operators add energy management applications.

AV integrators increasingly need to coordinate with building automation specialists at the start of projects to avoid duplicated cabling, multiple contractors, and separate maintenance agreements. Interoperability reduces cost and prevents technology silos that become unmanageable.

Uptime as a Service Differentiator

As technology becomes more integrated into operations, downtime becomes a direct service issue. A failed display in a guest room or a dead audio zone in an event space can damage the experience quickly. Cloud-based monitoring allows integrators to diagnose and troubleshoot issues remotely, creating opportunities for managed service agreements that provide recurring revenue while giving operators confidence in system uptime.

Guss emphasizes that hotels need future-ready systems that can adapt to building upgrades without disruptive replacement projects. Networked solutions support scalability and centralization while allowing integrators to extend systems rather than replace them as operator needs evolve.

Why it matters

Hospitality operators are redefining AV and automation as operational tools, not just guest amenities. This shift creates opportunities for integrators to move beyond installation into managed services, lifecycle planning, and building-wide system integration. As venues maximize revenue per square meter and operate with leaner teams, technology that reduces staff friction while maintaining brand standards becomes a competitive requirement.

These details were first reported by Anna Mitchell for InAVate.