Hotels Using Tablets:

The Pros and Cons of Business Center Informational Tablets

In the world of technology, sometimes getting swept up in the new and shiny can be easy. Hotels are attempting to reimagine their hotel business center into a guest enhancement tool that acts as a digital concierge. With that comes new hardware and software challenges.  If you are considering upgrading your current business center hardware to utilize a tablet, here are some pros and cons of hotels using tablets that you should consider before making your decision.

Pros of Business Center Tablet

1. Tablets give a modern look and contemporary feel compared to a standard PC
2. There is considerable space saved by implementing a tablet over a PC or Mac.
3. Option to hand tablets to guests, allowing for ease of usage and smooth interaction between the hotel team and guests without a table or barrier.
4. Flexibility to be used for guest computing, mobile printing, concierge services, and boarding pass access/printing with the right software and hardware combination.

Cons of Hotels Using Business Center Tablets

1. Guests that are visually impaired may have issues with smaller screens.
2. Tablets tend to overheat when in enclosures, as they are not designed to operate 24 hours a day.  Consider selecting a table with a built-in cooling system when using an enclosure.  This will cost more but less than repurchasing another tablet due to overheating issues. It also ensures the device does not have issues with speed or downloading large files.
3. When considering the option of mobile tablets that can be handed out, guests and employees are concerned about theft.  Lojack or similar programs can be purchased to act as a deterrent if this is a concern.
4. Utilization of MS Office (Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint) would be difficult to use on a tablet and may cause guest frustration.