Atton Hotels, a Chilean hotel chain in South America and the US, has implemented an enterprise-grade wireless solution provided by RUCKUS to address their guests’ need for reliable and secure Wi-Fi.
Travelers are digitally connected in a way that they want the world at their fingertips when they wake up, whether on vacation or traveling for business. Because of that, hotels need a solution that provides their guests with an outstanding Wi-Fi experience. Many hotels run guest and staff applications through their Wi-Fi network, including digital signage, mobile check-in, food and beverage orders, corporate management systems and even door lock systems. Therefore, they need reliable and secure Wi-Fi for their operations.
Atton Hotels: A growing chain
Atton Hotels is a leading local hotel chain in Chile. It always thinks of new and innovative ideas to make its guests’ experiences memorable. It has recently expanded to include hotels in Chile, Peru, Colombia and the US. Whether guests are there for business or pleasure, they will find a home away from home at any Atton property. It strives to be the guests’ first choice always. At every Atton, they take care of every detail.
Their wide range of amenities is sure to satisfy the needs of every guest. Before starting any new project, they study many factors, such as location, design and view, to provide an incredible experience for future guests. Their modern and spacious rooms are perfect for those traveling for business or pleasure.
Challenge
Atton Hotels is a chain based in Chile with recent expansion in South America and the US. Before implementing the RUCKUS solution, the hotel had a mix of low-cost wireless technology at its properties, which created unstable connections and dissatisfied customers. Atton’s previous implementations were with two competing solutions that struggled to meet the demands.
After a complicated trial with other providers, Atton turned to partner Xecuoia for help upgrading its Wi-Fi network to an enterprise-grade wireless solution. Using Atton Hotel in Chile, RUCKUS and another competitor were tested. The results with RUCKUS were superior, so they decided to implement the technology as the wireless standard across all existing and future properties.
Felipe Schmidt, IT Manager, Atton Hotels, said: “After guests stay at an Atton property, they receive an email with a survey to evaluate all hotel services, especially Wi-Fi. We experienced an improvement from an average of 3.5 to 4.3 stars, with five as the maximum score. It means that 90% of guests said Wi-Fi was good and they were delighted.”
Atton Hotels has a metric system for analyzing guest satisfaction. One of the main elements is the Wi-Fi rating related to speed, stability and ease of connection.
Based on that, the hotel conducted a pilot test on three floors at the Atton El Bosque property in Santiago, Chile. They followed up with each guest who stayed on these floors. After the pilot, the rest of the hotel migrated to RUCKUS.
Solution
The hotel implemented a combination of RUCKUS indoor and outdoor access points in medium-density locations. These access points offer an extended range with their adaptive antenna technology, which includes ChannelFly, a dynamic channel technology that uses Machine Learning to find the least congested channels.
The access points are controlled by the RUCKUS SmartZone controller in the cloud, managed by Atton. The wireless solution allows the hotel to manage large access point deployments with a single controller.
Working with Xecuoia was essential to the success of the implementation due to their knowledge of RUCKUS technology. The partner provided all necessary support, and Atton Hotels received personalized service. Xecuoia provided IT support for properties in Chile, Colombia and Peru.
With a new property scheduled to open in Miami, Atton Hotels decided to implement RUCKUS Wi-Fi. RUCKUS advised on what type of wireless solution was best for that property to achieve uninterrupted coverage. Also, Xecuoia in Chile and RUCKUS made the project possible.
The result
Schmidt said: “RUCKUS told both partners which wireless network solution was best for us. We did not feel like a number but like an important customer.”
By researching what other hotels were using for their network, it became clear to Atton Hotels that RUCKUS was the obvious choice, with over 90% of hotels choosing this solution and an exceptional track record in innovation.
With RUCKUS, Atton Hotels have better stability and management. If an access point has issues, it can solve them centrally. Atton can also monitor the wireless network online with visibility in each hotel. In addition, it can measure density in certain areas.
The wireless rollout at all properties took two years and Atton Hotels has added new properties to the network. They implemented the RUCKUS network in October at their hotel in Lima and the Atton Las Condes property in Santiago in November.
Schmidt concluded: “The experience with RUCKUS has been excellent. Our investment in this technology has given us phenomenal IT support, and our daily network management is much easier.”
About RUCKUS Networks
RUCKUS Networks builds and delivers purpose-driven networks that work in demanding industrial environments. With a trusted marketing partner network, it empowers clients to offer exceptional experiences to guests, students, residents, citizens and employees connected to them.
