14 Uses for Hotel Digital Signage Right Now

Hotels tend to be right at the forefront of the user experience. They're our home from home, a place where we seek to unwind and enjoy ourselves, or often our oasis in a strange new place - so it makes sense that hotels and hospitality strive to make the experience as enjoyable and stress free as possible.

Because, nuestro casa is su casa, right?

Modern digital experiences have been part of the hotel experience for many years now. First with things like on-demand TV, and now increasingly with self-service or keyless entry.

More than ever, hotel digital signage is a big part of the guest experience. And it's not as difficult to roll out as you might think.

After all, hotel digital signage is the use of TV screens or monitors, powered by cloud-based digital signage software, to display information and media throughout a hotel. It’s particularly important fort the hotel experience today because it lets you share information quickly and seamlessly, adding to the premium luxury experience.

So how can you leverage digital signage in your hotel right now?

1. Automated check in

When it comes to check-in, the human touch is usually appreciated. We all like a friendly face and warm welcome. But in some situations, we just want to get to our rooms as quick as possible without needing to queue or waiting for the receptionist to finish explaining things.

Increasingly, hotels are using digital signage kiosks to enable guests to check-in, get their keys and even upsell them services such as breakfast or loyalty cards.

You don't even need an actual kiosk for this - a simple desk or wall mounted touchscreen with the correct software installed will do the job.

The beauty of digital signage is that when no one wants to use the screen (check in usually occurs within a short time period for most guests), it reverts to whichever playlists and schedules you’ve set up.

One screen: multiple great first impressions.

2. Welcome information

A great guest experience requires engagement. But taking each customer through the list of selling points could take a while. In peak periods, digital signage becomes another arm of staff members ready to fill guests in on everything they need to know.

Real time welcome information displayed on lobby screens, could include check in waiting times, restaurant opening hours, local travel updates and even upgrades or offers available. While guests are waiting to check in, or for a taxi, they get prime viewing seats on everything your hotel has to offer.

This information can be updated as often as needed, too. With a signage system like ScreenCloud, you could set up a Google Slides presentation of key information. If something changes, there’s a delay or you’re fully booked, it would take two seconds for someone to open the presentation, update the information and get it showing on screen.

Technology like this is really easy to setup, and you don't need to run a smart hotel to use it.

3. In-room services for a better guest experience

What do you expect when you turn on the TV in a hotel room? At best, you might see a “Happy Anniversary Mr & Mr Smith” message, at worst a simple “Welcome to the hotel” homescreen.

Hotels still using these bland, irrelevant displays are missing a trick. With the rise of cloud-based digital signage solutions every screen in the hotel can be controlled from one central system.

This makes grouping screens and applying changes to them all simultaneously, super easy. On the flip side, personalization is far more achievable. For example, wouldn’t it be more engaging if, on entering your room, you saw a personalized welcome message, plus the hotel’s Instagram feed, plus the latest headlines, plus a live dashboard of travel information?

All possible, all easy to set up.

This information is genuinely useful. It could also be tailored depending on the guest’s purpose. Staying for business? Show travel information, the hotel’s conference and business facilities and the latest world headlines. Arriving for pleasure? Why not list the nearest restaurants, the hotel bar opening times and a list of Yelp reviews from recent hotel guests.

In-room services should be tailored and above all, interesting, if you don’t want guests to turn the TV straight off.

4. Personalized concierge service

The idea of the concierge service in hotels is that you have any information you may need at your fingertips. But the concierge is only human (at the moment any way). As much as they swot up, you could still ask something that throws them. When you introduce a digital screen, both the concierge and the guest, have the information they need at their fingertips.

It also means that the right person is on hand at all times to answer questions. The hotelier doesn’t have to worry about break times, or having a concierge with specific expertise because the digital screen has it all.

5. Wayfinding

Many hotels and resorts offer a range of services, from a choice of bars and restaurants to spas, children's playrooms and entertainment venues. For your newly arrived guest, making sense of it all can be overwhelming - especially if they're at the end of a long journey.

Hotels try to make it easier with signs, but the rise of digital signage for wayfinding can make the entire experience much more seamless.

One central screen can display all of your services, with schedules for events, or real time display notifications for maintenance. You can also position screens in your lobby or waiting area with relevant information to guide guests.

Screens can also highlight locations of your services. A great example might be a screen for your main restaurant, showing opening times and a QR code for booking a table. Or you might also have a screen by your beauty spa highlighting treatments, prices and special offers.

And of course theres also the option of displaying a map to make it much easier for guests to get around and discover all that you have to offer!

6. Travel information

By their very nature, hotels are part of the travel experience. And if you've ever found yourself in a hotel in a strange city, you will likely have wondered how easy it is to get to that big tourist attraction, or if there is a bus that goes to the nearest beach.

As hoteliers, you can make it easy for guests to venture out and discover local sights with digital signage.

Sharing real time travel updates or transit connections on digital signage screens can make a huge difference to the guest experience.

Stream live arrivals at the local metro, bus or train stations; display local traffic info; or simply highlight local attractions and the time it takes to walk to them.

Our own Transport app is great for displaying local public transportation options. Airport hotels might also want to display flight information using our Flight Schedules app.

If you're setting up hotel digital signage then adding in travel information is a simple and very useful step for your guests.

Read More: Transportation digital signage

7. Emergency notices with digital signage solutions

Digital signage is a great emergency response tool, using an automated system to display local alerts. This can be especially useful in the case of adverse weather or breaking news issues which might affect your guests.

Our Emergency Alerts app is designed to send out announcements as part of an existing Mass Alert Platform. This is triggered by a common alert protocol (CAP) and can also display useful information such as evacuation orders.

With emergency alert digital signage, text displays can be combined with audio, to reach even those with limited sight or hearing ability. Notices can be prepared in advance (for example, in anticipation of adverse weather), automated by the CAP or content can be launched in minutes using our Quick Post app.

8. Promoting partners to drive revenue

Hotels and resorts are in a unique position, playing host to hundreds or thousands of out-of-town visitors every year. This means that visitors are often looking for local services, the best restaurants, tours or event tickets - and they'll often ask hotel staff for help.

Digital signage offers a powerful way to display content from local partners such as:

• Theatre or concert venues,
• Tour guides,
• Car or bike hire,
• Restaurants,
• Boat trips,
• Attractions and experiences,
• Local initiatives,
• and much more...

There are several ways to present promotional content on your digital signage.

One method is to have specific screen, or screens, setup with the purpose or promoting these services. This would cycle through the content on a loop with the option to change screens or schedule content at specific times if needed.

Another way would be to have a 'zone' on your signage displaying the promotional content. For example, you might have a screen which displays animation schedules, but with a box advertising a local company.

You could also include a promotional slide (or slides) as part of your hotel information slideshow - for example displayed as part of your in-room welcome digital signage.

9. Social media walls

We've all seen (and probably shared) Instagram or TikTok holiday shots. Why not use those to the advantage of your hotel business?

Social media walls are often used at events, in conjunction with a branded hashtag, to showcase all the fun that people are having. You can use this to share guest pictures on your in-hotel digital signage and, of course, to add to your hotel socials.

A great way to build more of an online buzz and show off your hotels best features online.

There are many ways to do this:

• Instagram for Business: Our native Instagram integration which pulls content from your Instagram account.
• Walls.io: A popular subscription based social media aggregator which can display content from various social media platforms.
• Strea.ma: Our own social media wall app for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter(X).
• Facebook Business Feed: An easy way to share content from your latest Facebook posts.

All of these apps are easy to use and give you the ability to curate content from socials to display on your hotel digital signage.

10. Reviews and testimonials

Everyone knows that the hospitality world thrives on good reviews - especially guest reviews from hotel review sites. And hospitality digital signage offers a double pronged benefit.

For one, you can display your reviews on your signage, with our Google Reviews apps giving you the option to show your latest and best five star feedback.

But these apps can also be used to encourage guests to leave their own feedback.

Our TripAdvisor app includes a QR code for guests to scan and leave their reviews easily.

11. Bookings and schedules

Many hotels offer additional services that might need reserving - whether thats a spa treatment, dance classes by the pool, or even a day trip. With digital signage you can easily display the schedule and a quick link to the booking page using a QR code.

One study found that diners in restaurants tend to book on the day - and we think that also applies to events. Especially those in hotels.

So make it easy to both see what is happening and to book in by using hotel digital signage.

12. Wall art

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas recently installed eight floor-to ceiling video walls that played a stream of mirrored videos, giving the illusion of a much bigger space. This content is also paired with photography and film from local artists, that tell stories and most importantly, get all eyes on the screen.

While digital screens are great at providing information, we shouldn’t ignore their role as flexible art displays.

In healthcare, digital wall art is being used to inspire better health and reduce nerves. Within a bar area, restaurant or ambient space, screens are a great way to create a specific look and feel that will set the scene for guests. Their flexible nature means you can create seasonal displays, turn your walls into a specific setting depending on who is in the hotel at that time or change the look and feel of your space as often as you like.

Check out our guide to setting up hotel digital signage.

13. Live streaming entertainment

Many hotels (and other businesses for that matter) stream live news to their guests. And while this is often seen as the best use of screens in public spaces, not everyone wants to be greeted by rolling news coverage.

This is where digital signage opens up a massive realm of possibilities. Connect to your choice of live broadcasts from a variety of sources, whether thats webcam footage of your locality, or specialist streaming news.

Some examples here might be:

• Webcam footage from the mountain in a ski resort
• Connecting to NASA TV or National Geographic in a family holiday resort
• Displaying highlights from curated channels during a sporting event

There are lots of much more imaginative and engaging ways to connect your digital signage to live TV.

14. Digital menu boards for in-house restaurants

If your hotel has one or more restaurants, digital menu boards are an easy way to modernize the dining experience. Instead of relying on printed menus that need to be reissued every time there’s a change, you can update dishes, prices, or daily specials instantly from a central system. This keeps information accurate and reduces waste.

Digital menus also help with upselling. High-quality images and animations can spotlight signature dishes, cocktails, or seasonal promotions in a way that static menus can’t. For guests passing by, a bright, eye-catching menu board outside the restaurant is often the nudge they need to walk in and dine.

Another advantage is flexibility. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus can be scheduled to display automatically at the right times, across your multiple properties, meaning guests always see what’s available without confusion. And with QR codes added to the screen, guests can quickly pull up the full menu or place an order directly from their phone.

How to set up hotel digital signage

Getting started with hotel digital signage is simpler than most people expect. With the right screens and software, you can be up and running in just a few steps.

Step 1: Choose your screens

Decide where screens will have the most impact. For hotels, it’s usually the lobby, near elevators, in restaurants, or outside conference rooms. Commercial-grade displays are best for 24/7 use, but many hotels also use consumer TVs successfully.

Step 2: Install digital signage software

Once your screens are mounted, connect them to signage software. With ScreenCloud, this means downloading the app to your smart TV or plugging in a media device like an Amazon Fire TV Stick. You’ll get a pairing code that links the screen to your ScreenCloud account.

Step 3: Upload and schedule content

From your ScreenCloud dashboard, content management is a piece of cake. You can upload images, videos, or slides, and even pull in live data from tools like Google Slides, social feeds, or Canva. Schedule content in advance so guests see the right message at the right time.

Step 4: Scale as you grow

If you run multiple properties or want to expand to new areas in the hospitality industry, simply add more screens in your ScreenCloud dashboard. Everything stays connected, and you can manage it remotely.

Here’s a more detailed guide on how to get started with digital signage software.

Why use ScreenCloud for hotel digital signage?

Digital signage is more than just some nice screens to display your logo. More than ever, it is a multi-functional network that can boost revenue and improve the guest experience too. Moreover, digital signage can also reduce desk enquiries by 35% - so providing commonly asked questions on your digital signage can be a nice touch too.

ScreenCloud offers a secure and user-friendly digital signage network, with a powerful CMS and hardware options. Because ScreenCloud is cloud-based, it's easy to manage content remotely and even troubleshoot screen issues using Remote Device Management (RDM).

Our PIXI media player is also one of the most powerful and affordable signage players on the market.

Find out for yourself why ScreenCloud is trusted by hundreds of hotel chains, large and small.

Try ScreenCloud's hotel digital signage FREE for 14 days, or schedule a demo.