The Challenge
Coastal Resort Group operates 12 boutique hotel properties with a combined 2,400 rooms. Their guests expected seamless, fast WiFi - but the reality was far from it.
Every property shared a single WiFi password, printed on cards at the front desk. The password changed monthly, which meant returning guests always needed to ask for the new one. Worse, there was no way to capture guest data - no email collection, no understanding of device usage, and no visibility into network performance.
The impact was showing up where it hurt most: online reviews. A full 30% of their negative reviews mentioned WiFi problems - slow speeds, confusing login, or inability to connect. For a hospitality brand built on guest experience, this was unacceptable.
- Shared WiFi passwords changed monthly, creating confusion for returning guests
- No guest data capture - zero emails collected from WiFi
- 30% of negative online reviews specifically mentioned WiFi issues
- No visibility into network performance across properties
- Front desk staff fielded 15-20 WiFi-related calls per day, per property
The Solution
Coastal Resort Group deployed IronWiFi's captive portal solution across all 12 properties in just 3 weeks. The implementation required no hardware changes - they pointed their existing access points to IronWiFi's cloud RADIUS servers and configured branded splash pages for each property.
Each property got its own custom-branded login page featuring the hotel's logo, imagery, and current promotions. Guests could connect using social login (Google, Facebook, Apple) or by providing their email address. The portal also integrated with the group's email marketing platform, automatically feeding new guest contacts into their CRM.
- Branded captive portal with social login options (Google, Facebook, Apple)
- Email collection built into the WiFi login flow
- Per-property splash page branding with promotional space
- Automatic CRM integration for guest email capture
- Bandwidth management to ensure fair usage across all guests
"We went from WiFi being our number one complaint to guests barely thinking about it - which is exactly what you want. They connect, they're online, and we capture their email. It's the kind of infrastructure upgrade that actually makes money."- Michael Chen, IT Director, Coastal Resort Group
The Results
The transformation was immediate and measurable. Within the first 45 days, the investment in IronWiFi had already paid for itself through the value of captured guest data and reduced support burden.
Front desk WiFi calls dropped from 15-20 per day to just 2-3, freeing up staff to focus on the guest experience that actually matters. Online review scores improved measurably within the first quarter, with WiFi complaints virtually disappearing from negative feedback.
The captured email data became a revenue driver. The marketing team now runs targeted campaigns to past guests with personalized offers, driving repeat bookings. The branded splash pages also serve as a promotional channel, highlighting spa packages, restaurant specials, and loyalty program enrollment directly on the WiFi login screen.
Timeline
From the initial decision to full deployment across all 12 properties, the entire project took just 3 weeks. No hardware replacements were needed - the existing WiFi infrastructure worked as-is. Each property was onboarded in approximately 2 hours, including custom branding and CRM integration setup.