Hrvatski Telekom helps Croatian hotels keep up with the modern customer

Modern technology has been developing faster than ever, leading to rapid changes of the environment in which hotel owners operate and transforming the habits and expectations of their guests. Hotel managers and investors now plan the construction, architecture and infrastructure of hotels differently from the outset, taking into account future requirements for staff and management. Guests, meanwhile, expect to find new technologies applied in hotels as a way of providing them with advanced, personalized services that nevertheless still focus on human contact.

Global trends
Many hotel owners are now making efforts to cater to the habits of millennials, who are becoming the most important group of global travelers and consumers. Crucially, this means investing in the availability and strength of their establishments’ Wi-Fi networks, as free Wi-Fi ranks at the top of the list of guest requirements. It is no longer considered a privilege, but rather a standard service. Hotels can also use Wi-Fi to their advantage by collecting information about network traffic through so-called heat maps, which track its users’ movement over a specific time period. They are a useful tool designed to help managers of large resorts make important decisions by providing information about the number of visits to individual locations, as well as about changes in data traffic at given times.

Another trend that has been very prominent in the industry in recent years is the development of mobile apps, with which guests can make bookings, check in and out faster, order room service and access personalized information on current offers. Many international hotel chains have also moved into the cloud to reduce their capital investment in IT infrastructure. The technology gives them the flexibility to expand and harmonize their IT resources in line with business growth.

The state of technology in Croatia 
Croatian hotels routinely invest in the technologies required for high-quality hotel operations, such as hotel property management systems (PMS), IP telephony with tariff codes, Wi-Fi networks, and hotel TV systems. Video surveillance and digital signage technology have also grown increasingly popular. Domestic hoteliers are generally willing to adapt to the expectations of their guests. However, their readiness to implement new technologies, which until recently were considered unnecessary for hotel operations, remains lower than expected. Still, there has been a significant shift in approach and mindset among a new generation of hotels. In particular, mobile apps are one of the major trends that hotels in Croatia are expected to adopt. Services such as EV-charging stations and e-bicycles are also likely to become a key competitive advantage for those that offer them.

Hospitality projects by Hrvatski Telekom
Hotels strive to provide the best possible services, and technology plays an essential role there. That’s why Hrvatski Telekom (HT), the leading telecommunications company in Croatia, offers comprehensive solutions for the hospitality industry. HT combines every technology at its disposal – fixed, mobile, ICT and cloud computing – according to the needs of its clients. In addition to analyzing, designing and implementing specific solutions, the company also provides maintenance services and customer support for the entire duration of its business relationships. One of the major advantages of HT’s portfolio for hotels is the repayment model through monthly fees, which allows them to avoid the huge initial cost of investing in technology. They can also fully outsource management and maintenance tasks. The time they save can be dedicated to what is most important: their guests.

To date, Hrvatski Telekom has successfully implemented over 150 projects for hotels ranging from small, family-owned boutique establishments to large chains and resorts. The comprehensive ICT solutions it provides include basic services such as Wi-Fi and IP telephony, as well as smart solutions like Hotel PMS, Hotel TV, digital signage, video surveillance, EV-charging stations, e-bicycles and smart parking. Aiming to make the full range of premium technologies available in one place, the company has been working intensively on expanding its ecosystem of services for the hospitality sector.

Innovation at Hrvatski Telekom
Hrvatski Telekom has developed a Hospitality platform that forms the basis of this ecosystem and is designed to integrate and interconnect of all the company’s relevant products and services. When connected in this way, HT’s hospitality services make it possible for both hotels and their guests to enjoy a broad spectrum of premium, personalized offers. For instance, users can optimize their stay by planning their leisure activities inside and outside of the hotel more easily. The platform’s modern mobile and web interface, modularity, scalability, VoIP/IM communication and many other features enable the plug-and-play provision of key services like Hotel PMS, Hotel app and Hotel TV.

Antonija Mandić, Croatian TV Presentor
and Hotel Guest

Customer feedback

HT’s commitment to project success in the hospitality industry is evident from the excellent feedback of their customers. The projects implemented in the Romana Beach Resort and Vinotel Gospoja hotels are particularly worth highlighting. The Vinotel Gospoja uses HT’s services Hotel TV, Wi-Fi network, video surveillance, fiscal cash registers and IP telephony with tariff codes. It also recently started using HT’s Hotel app solution. Owner Franjo Toljanić spoke about cooperation with HT: “We wanted a partner that would be willing to take responsibility for the delivery of several ICT solutions. Our goal was to achieve the greatest possible integration of premium, verified offers,” he said. “We chose Hrvatski Telekom because of its strong references in the hospitality sector. They helped us choose solutions and offered us financing models that were perfectly suited for us, although we had never considered them. The project was implemented on schedule, and we are delighted with the solutions and customer support provided.”

At the Romana Beach Resort, HT implemented a Hotel TV system, Wi-Fi network and IP telephony with tariff codes. Ivan Gujinović, director of the hotel in Makarska, stated: “During the final construction phase, we were looking for a reliable partner to deliver ICT services that would simplify our business. Given the high standards of our demanding clientele, the implemented technology needed to be world-class. The professionalism, technical support and, last but not least, financial construction of the project offered by Hrvatski Telekom proved to be the best choice for us. Among other things, the company successfully implemented a TV system, IP telephony and wireless network. Our first booming tourist season confirmed that we chose the right partner.”