★☆☆☆☆ 

“Watching the sunsets from the resort’s private beach was phenomenal. It’s a shame I couldn’t share them with my network…” 

★☆☆☆☆ 

“The photos I took of the fabulous facilities will never see the light of day from my camera roll, now that the moment has gone…” 

★☆☆☆☆ 

“Great place for an extended tech detox, I guess…” 

I had high hopes for this luxury resort. In need of the perfect blend of relaxation and productivity, this seemed like the ideal getaway: pristine beaches, lush greenery, an infinity pool… I was excited to finally indulge in some much-needed downtime, but as someone in high demand who finds it impossible to switch off, I had a few tasks to handle throughout the week. Since COVID, work-from-anywhere has revolutionized my global profile, how far I travel, and how and when I am accessible.

I’ve been able to work seamlessly from urban hubs, even in smaller towns, thanks to high-speed connections that support the same efficiency on a sun-drenched terrace as a home office.

Not this time, though.

After a leisurely dinner, I had to facilitate a Zoom call. But with the picture freezing and the audio dropping out, I couldn’t deliver. Unusual that a resort of this caliber, marketed as a five-star experience, hadn’t prioritized high-speed, reliable connectivity. It felt like 2005 all over again!

Capping off a frustrating hour or so trying to stream the latest episode of the series I was watching, I settled for a pre-downloaded podcast for my evening’s entertainment (in-room TV wasn’t bringing it). Good job I’d downloaded a bunch of podcasts earlier that day (in a jam-packed cafe with blazing-fast connection…)

The following morning, I’d barely stepped two paces outside my room before the sound of complaints from frustrated teenagers unable to access Instagram and TikTok became part of the resort’s audioscape – , much like the colonies of bullfrogs in the site’s surrounds.

Yet I was on their side. The pitiful connection wasn’t just making life less enjoyable for social media-loving youngsters: it presented a major inconvenience for innumerable guests. Beyond those of us balancing work with pleasure, others struggled with app-controlled setups for their properties back home, including security, sprinkler systems, and heating. Many couldn’t access banking controls to manage their vacation budget; and for some reliant on remote patient monitoring or medication management apps, limitations on their real-time data was a serious issue.

Crucially, the resort is missing out on valuable free PR. User-generated content (UGC) from visitors documenting their vacations across multiple social media platforms is free, but significantly impactful publicity.

Indeed, the integration of smart features enhanced by high-speed networks presents opportunities for under-connected resorts to offer elevated guest experiences with the likes of interactive site maps, real-time facility booking functions – even AI-powered recommendations for the best times to hit the beach or spa without the crowds.

The answer? A modular, scalable fiber network, with seamless handoffs from Wi-Fi point to Wi-Fi point, ensuring continuous connectivity everywhere on site. Network technology is not mysterious, expensive, or hard-to-implement anymore. Where reliable connections are an expectation these days and no longer regarded as a luxury, this resort needs to catch up to the new world reality.

Don’t want to stay somewhere like this? Check out The Wilderness Resort and their superior network connectivity supported by Technetix’ remote OLT solution.