Why Your Hospitality Business Needs an MSP
Would you book a modern hotel without Wi-Fi? How about access to a TV or a secure network? Probably not.
Today, every hospitality business, whether a hotel, inn, or bed-and-breakfast, needs to provide not just comfort, but technology and digital safety. And setting up and maintaining that tech is just the start.
Unfortunately, the hospitality industry has become a prime target for cybercrime. During the summer of 2024, 82% hotels were hit by a cyberattack, meaning that the risk of exposing customer data is at an all-time high.
That’s why many hospitality businesses are turning to managed service providers (MSPs) for help. In this blog post, we’ll show you how an MSP maintains the tech needed for a modern hospitality business while keeping customer and business data safe and up-to-date.
Because your hospitality business should be about welcoming guests, not cybercriminals.
An Inhospitable Landscape
Hospitality regularly finds itself in the top three industries most targeted by cybercrime, but it’s not just the cybercriminals ruining family vacations. Here are just some of the challenges many hospitality businesses face:
Securing customer data and protecting guest privacy: Guests need to trust that their payments, account information, and IDs stay secure. But privacy surrounding each guest’s experience is just as important, from keeping check-in times and room numbers confidential to protecting anything else that could reveal personal details. If your business falls victim to a data breach, you’re not just damaging your reputation; you’re putting your guests in danger.
Keeping technology working 24/7: Your tech isn’t just the server in the back closet or the TVs in each room. It’s the entire stack of software, systems, and devices that keep your business running. And that stack can get pretty massive, with upwards of 20 or more tools for a single hotel. Managing all of that can be tricky for any organization, especially a smaller hospitality business. Harder still is reacting when things break at odd hours. What happens if your Wi-Fi router goes down at 1 a.m. on a holiday weekend?
Managing costs: Anyone with their own hospitality business can tell you that managing costs hasn’t gotten any easier. According to AHLA President & CEO Rosanna Maietta, high inflation and rising interest rates have made it tough for many hotel owners to keep their doors open. Add in the non-negotiable expenses of technology and upkeep, and it’s no surprise so many hospitality businesses are struggling right now.
Front Desk to Back Office: Your MSP Has You Covered
Most small hospitality businesses struggle with their tech for one simple reason – they’re doing it alone. They may have an in-house IT team, but those teams are often too small to handle the demands of a modern hotel.
Outsourcing your IT to a trusted MSP means gaining a powerful ally that can take the tech weight off your shoulders so you can get back to serving your guests. Here’s how they can help your hospitality business:
Around-the-clock support: Your hospitality business needs an IT partner who understands the importance of being available. Any good MSP is going to provide 24/7 support. A great MSP will offer that support 365 days a year. Your MSP should also be able to provide you with on-site support when an issue can’t be handled remotely.
Improves guest experiences: An MSP shouldn’t show up only when things break. A great MSP partner will be looking to help improve your hospitality industry, providing you with modern tech solutions to improve your offerings. This could be an improved mobile check-in system, smart IoT room amenities, Wi-Fi boosters, the list goes on.
Improved cybersecurity: There’s no silver bullet when it comes to cybersecurity. Instead, cybersecurity is a series of layered defenses, from antivirus software, system updates, encryption, firewalls, etc. No one knows this better than an MSP.
Shrink your attack surface: As your business grows, so will its attack surface – every possible point where a hacker could access your organization. From new computers, larger databases, to IoT devices, the sprawl can get immense. A good MSP deploys attack surface management (ASM) to lock down vulnerabilities, allowing you to add critical tech tools without opening security gaps.
Compliance guidance: With so much sensitive customer information, staying in compliance is critical for your hospitality business. Many MSPs are experts in compliance regulations and can help your business not just stay in compliance, but also adjust and react to changing regulations.
Manage costs: It’s not cheap running a hospitality business. But a good MSP can help keep some change in your wallet, especially ones that run on flat-rate fees like The 20 MSP. From quoting hardware that best suits your needs and budget, to helping manage your cloud infrastructure and SaaS subscriptions, an MSP can make sure you’re getting the best deal for your dollar.
Your MSP Is Not Incidental
You can’t expect to run a successful hospitality business and be an expert in IT infrastructure. But in today’s world, your guests expect both: modern tech and exceptional service.
So, let your MSP take the tech stack off your silver salver, so you can focus on delivering an exceptional stay. With the right partner, you won’t be any less busy, but you’ll have far less tech to stress about.
And if you’re looking for an MSP partner, we’re here for you. At The 20 MSP, we deliver cutting-edge support 24/7/365 all at a flat rate. Running a business is hard – you deserve a partner who gets that.
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About The 20 MSP
As a leading provider of managed IT services, The 20 MSP serves thousands of businesses nationwide, including single and multi-location organizations, delivering white-glove service, secure and streamlined IT infrastructure, and 24/7/365 support. We believe in building lasting relationships with clients founded on trust, communication, and the delivery of high-value services for a fair and predictable price. Our client’s success is our success, and we are committed to helping each and every organization we serve leverage technology to secure a competitive advantage and achieve new growth.
