The Ultimate Guide To Hotel Digital Signage – The Where, What and Why

Welcome to the Ultimate Guide to Hotel Digital Signage—your all-in-one resource for making sense of one of hospitality’s most powerful tools.

If you’ve ever wondered what digital signage actually is, where it might fit into your hotel, or why it’s worth the investment, you’re in the right place. This guide breaks it all down in clear, practical terms, whether you’re just getting started or looking to level up your current setup. Let’s explore how digital signage can elevate the guest experience and boost efficiency in your hotel.

Jump to section:

• Why use digital signage for hotels?
• What is digital signage?
• What types of display are there?
• Where to use hotel digital signage solutions

Why use digital signage for hotels?

More hotels are starting to question whether they should be using digital signage – which requires an initial and ongoing investment and ongoing management – so it’s important to know what the potential benefits are. We look at 20 reasons how and why you might want to use digital signage for your hotel.

Increase your customer spend

• Highlight products/services/promotions – Guests can’t buy your products, services and promotions if they’re not aware of them. Digital signage offers much more promotional space than static displays. By using screens in your lobby to promote your services, your customers can learn about all of the options/promotions available before they’ve even checked in.
• Targeted messages – Because digital signage is so flexible, you can choose which messages your guests will see, where and when. Uptake of food/drink promotions, premium products or services can be increased by dialling up or down the visibility of the messages that appear in prime locations and at key times. For example, displays can showcase premium beers at the beginning of your dining service, and high end after-dinner digestif drinks (e.g. brandy) towards the end of it.

Improve your hotel’s customer experience

• Customer information – Displays can help guests access key information like breakfast or check-in times. They can showcase local attractions guests might want to visit, making the hotel feel more like a destination than simply a place to stay, increasing the likelihood that they’ll return. This can help hotels to better compete with local competition from Airbnb hosts that offer their guests tips on places to visit.
• Improved ambiance – An impressive interior is crucial for creating an ambiance that customers will enjoy and want to experience again, but regular refurbishment is prohibitively expensive. High quality videos shown on digital displays can change the overall look and feel of a hotel and keep reception areas looking fresh and attractive each time a customer visits, without the need for a major overhaul.
• Reduce queues – Waiting in a long queue to speak to hotel/restaurant staff to access a room you’ve pre-booked is frustrating for customers. By using touchscreen digital signage, your customers can self-register their arrival and check-in immediately, or get an approximate timeframe to wait for their room. This gives them the opportunity to use their wait time more productively, for example to have a drink at the bar. Where queuing is unavoidable, digital displays can act as a distraction which reduces people’s perceived wait times.
• Remove language barriers – Hotels often have customers whose first language isn’t English and language barriers can make it hard for staff to give them the same optimum level of service. Interactive digital signage can be used to show information in different languages ensuring that all guests get the info they need.
• Instant feedback – Research has shown that nearly half of British people feel uncomfortable making complaints in person. Interactive screens can be used to generate customer feedback, highlighting any issues they may have. This can empower staff to deal with any issues and rectify a bad situation instantly, reducing the likelihood of customers leaving negative reviews once they’ve left the hotel.
• Wayfinding – For large hotels, interactive screens showing wayfinding information can be used to help guests find their way around the building and/or it’s event spaces. This reduces the time staff spend on directing guests freeing them up to do other things.

Enable more/better marketing activity

• More promotional space – Printed point of sale (POS) materials are expensive to produce, which can limit a hotel’s marketing activity. Digital displays create a vast amount of high- profile promotional space and allow campaigns to be delivered quickly and cost-effectively. This promotional space can be used by hotels to promote their own products, services and loyalty schemes, and can also be sold as advertising space to third parties (e.g. local attractions), introducing new revenue streams.
• Innovation – The flexibility offered by digital signage enables hotels and restaurants to be more innovative because content is relatively cheap to produce. Ideas can be trialled in one location and quickly expanded across a chain, if successful.
• Brand consistency – If a customer has a bad experience in one hotel or restaurant, they are unlikely to visit other venues from within the same chain. Subsequently, it is essential that there are no weak links within a chain. Digital signage displays make it easy to create brand consistency, ensuring that all customers see the same high-quality brand-approved imagery and messaging in every location.

Improve your hotel’s operational efficiency

• Large event management – Large events can be very profitable, but when large numbers of visitors arrive at once, it puts staff under pressure and can disrupt the smooth running of a hotel. Digital signage can be used to give instructions to event attendees – e.g. start time, or giving parking instructions.
• Fire safety instructions – Building evacuations for fire safety can be chaotic in large venues like hotels, because guests are often unaware of the venue-specific procedures. Digital signage can be integrated with fire security systems and programmed to interrupt set playlists and show evacuation procedures when required, making building evacuations more efficient.
• Internal training – Whilst they’re primarily thought of as being customer-facing, digital displays can be used for internal use too. They can display best practice and/or show training videos in staff-only areas or pre-booked meeting rooms, to reinforce company guidance and standards.

Upgrade your hotel’s meeting/event spaces

• Smart event spaces – Digital signage displays can be used to make event coordination easier. Interactive screens allow delegates to self-check-in and be given personalised information (e.g. their table number). Organisers can incorporate last minute changes to on-screen seating plans. Delegates/guests can be given instructions throughout the event (e.g. session start/finish times) making it easier to keep events to schedule. Screens can be used instead of printed banners, reducing print costs and reducing the environmental impact of events.
• Alter the ambiance – No business wants to hire a meeting space or event space with an ambiance that isn’t indicative of their brand. Tailored content appearing on digital signage can be used to change the look and feel of a room space so it’s more in line with the client’s brand or the theme of the event they wish to hold.
• Wow-factor – It can be hard for a customer to visualise the possibilities of an empty function room. At the touch of a button, digital signage can be used to make function space viewings more exciting by showcasing examples of how screens can be used to dress the room, brand it and split it into zones.

What is digital signage?

Now you know why and how you can use digital signage for your hotel business, let’s look at what it actually is. Digital signage is made up of four key elements:

Hardware: There are three key pieces of equipment needed. Screens are obviously what you can see – these might be standard displays, interactive touchscreens, high bright or even large video walls in a lobby. Although they may look like a standard television set, commercial screens are more robust. They can operate for longer periods of time and can be managed remotely, unlike standard TVs.

The second piece of hardware you’ll need a media player, which is a small computer that connects to the screens. This is used to allow you to upload, select and play content.

You will also need either a mount or enclosure to position and/or protect the screen.

Content: This is what appears on your screens and can be static images, video files, website pages or live data feeds (e.g. social media, news, traffic). For a hotel, the content could range from welcome messages and event schedules to showing dining menus, local attractions, or news updates.

Software: Known as Content Management Software (CMS), this is your control centre. It allows you to manage your media library and upload files, create playlists (the sequence you want your content in play in), and schedule when and where different playlists or content sections appear on your displays. It also enables you to remotely manage all of your displays.

Internet connection: While not strictly essential for every setup, most CMS systems are cloud-based so you’ll need an internet connection.

What types of display are there?

There are four key types of digital signage display that are often used in hotels.

Mid-sized LCD/LED screens
Unless visitors visit your hotel regularly it’s unlikely they’ll be familiar with everything you offer. Mid-sized digital screens are the perfect way to educate them as they pass through the building and encourage them to purchase additional services.

There are two key types of commercial digital screen: LED and LCD screens. LCD screens are usually cheaper than LED screens. However LED screens are brighter (and therefore more attention-grabbing), last longer and tend to be more energy-efficient.

It’s important to use commercial screens for your hotel digital signage displays rather than a standard TV. They’re designed to be in use 24 hours a day. If any aren’t needed during certain periods (night-time, for example) they can be programmed to switch off during those times, to save energy and screen life.
Size: Small-Medium
Purchase cost: £-££ (NB: depends on the size and screen type)
Ongoing costs (energy, maintenance): £

High bright window displays
If your hotel has large windows and a decent level of footfall passing them, you should consider putting a high bright screen in them. This will help you market your facilities, events and promotions more effectively to passers-by.

High bright screens are brighter than standard screens so they can be seen easily in sunny weather on outdoor and window displays. They use more energy and cost more to run than standard indoor displays, however, most have light sensors which automatically reduce the brightness when it’s nighttime/less sunny to reduce running costs.
Size: Small-Medium
Purchase cost: ££-£££
Ongoing costs (energy, maintenance): £££

Large format displays
Some hotels use large format displays in their reception area to create a ‘wow-factor’. They’re very effective at drawing attention to specific promotions or facilities.
You can choose from video walls or LED walls. Video walls are a collection of screens positioned together like tiles to look like a single, large screen. They’re significantly cheaper than LED walls, but aren’t as energy efficient, and if one screen fails, your display will become an eyesore.

LED walls are long lasting and much easier to maintain. They’re easy to see from close up and far away, so all guests can see the same messages no matter what their proximity to the screen.
Video walls can only be used indoors, whereas you can use LED walls indoors or outdoors (special hardware is needed for outdoor use). Depending on their position, type and size, outdoor LED walls can be seen from as much as half a mile away, making hotels that are hidden away much more visible from a distance.
Size: Large
Purchase cost: ££-£££ (NB: depends on display size and type)
Ongoing costs (energy, maintenance): ££-£££

Touchscreen displays
If you want to make your hotel signage more interactive and guest-friendly, touchscreen displays are a great option. These screens allow guests to explore information at their own pace—whether it’s checking in, looking at event schedules, browsing spa treatments, or finding directions to local attractions.

Touchscreens are especially useful in lobbies or in lounge areas where guests may want quick access to personalised or detailed information. They can also be used for self-check-in, feedback forms, or even ordering food and drinks.

Because they’re interactive, they’re usually placed within a wall-mounted or freestanding enclosure so that they’re positioned at a comfortable height and angle for users. They’re also more hands-on, so regular cleaning and maintenance are important to keep them looking sharp and working smoothly.
Touchscreen displays help reduce pressure on front desk staff and give guests more control over their experience—making them a smart investment for hotels looking to modernise their service.
Size: Small-medium
Purchase cost: £-££ (NB: depends on the size and screen type)
Ongoing costs (energy, maintenance): £

Where to use hotel digital signage solutions

Lobby
The lobby is where your guests will have both their first and last impression of their visit, and it’s a perfect opportunity to use digital signage to make a good impression. This can show video footage of both in-house facilities – such as a gym, restaurant or spa – and local attractions.

Your display can be used to give important information, like times for check-in and out, and promote the quality of your breakfast offering. It can also be used to promote forthcoming events, promotions and loyalty schemes.

It’s vital to make this display useful and engaging, since the lobby is a place where your guests may need to wait for a while.

Conference spaces
It you’re hosting conferences, it’s important that delegates have all the information they need. When delegates are likely to be arriving, your lobby display could be repurposed to provide event information and directions for them, reverting to other standard content when the conference has begun.

Digital signage for the conference area itself can help make the event a premium experience for both organisers and delegates. Screens can indicate which rooms are being used by which companies. They can also show the conference’s agenda, as well as reminders when lunch or coffee breaks are coming to an end, to aid the smooth running of the event.

Lounge/Bar
A digital display in your lounge or bar area can show menus and special offers, and the content changed at different times of the day. For instance, you could be promoting mimosa for brunch, cocktails for early evening and premium brandy for after-dinner drinks.

Elsewhere in the lounge/bar, the emphasis can be on entertainment and information. If you have appropriate content management software, you can split the screen so you can also show entertainment content, such as live TV, alongside other information.

If your hotel is near an airport, for example, you could show up-to-date flight information. You could also display local taxi numbers, reducing the pressure on your staff to order taxis for guests, or else show details about the on-site facilities, such as spa availability or dining room closing times. Screens can also show drink and/or food promotions to encourage take-up, or promote other services available within the hotel.

Lift Areas
Guests using the lifts are a captive audience and are therefore easy to engage, so why not provide content on smaller screens in the lift lobby or even inside of lifts. For example, remind them of times for check-in and check-out, promote your breakfast, lunch and evening meal offerings, as well as paid-for in-hotel facilities, events and your current promotions.
You could also encourage guests to leave reviews on TripAdvisor. Remember that most lift wait times and journeys will be short, so messages should be simple.

Fitness Suite
By placing digital displays in fitness suites, hotels can provide their guests with information on all the available facilities, helping them make the most of what’s on offer. This is especially valuable for new or short-stay guests who may not be fully aware of the range of options available.

They can also be used to display the schedule for fitness classes, making it easy for guests (or paying fitness suite members) to plan their workouts into their day. This real-time access to information can increase class participation and elevate guest/fitness suite member satisfaction. Additionally, it can communicate important health and safety guidelines, such as wiping down equipment or not eating/drinking in the poolside areas.

Digital signage can also promote the hotel’s healthier food and drink options, encouraging people to use on-site restaurants, cafés, or room service.

Outside The Hotel
Digital signage outside the hotel building will offer a premium, luxury impression before a guest has even entered.
Messages could include availability, latest deals and upcoming events. You could also show a video of services such as weddings or conferences, making it clear what you offer to passing motorists and/or pedestrians.
NB: Outdoor digital signage screens should be protected with enclosures. Only use screens that are designed to withstand high and low temperatures — not all models are. Consult a specialist before you buy any hardware for outdoor use.

Hopefully you now have a better appreciation of the why, what and where of hotel digital signage and we’ve answered all the questions you may have about it.

If you’d like to speak to a member of our team about what digital signage options might be appropriate for your hotel, just get in touch by giving us a call on 0161 222 0706 or fill in the form below.