IT for Accommodation Businesses
Exodesk provides IT for accommodation businesses, supporting motels, hotels, lodges and holiday parks. We agree the devices, networks, connectivity and staff accounts covered, along with the responsibilities of your booking and payment suppliers.
Our Christchurch and Dunedin teams work with you to define support hours, remote assistance and any on-site requirements around the way your property operates.
Tell us your location, property type and the reception or guest connectivity problem you need to solve
What does accommodation IT support cover?
Accommodation IT support covers the agreed computers, networks, internet connections and staff accounts behind reception and guest operations, plus the recovery work and supplier coordination that keep them running.
A property depends on a handful of connected systems: a property management system, or PMS, holding reservations and room status; a channel manager keeping availability in step with booking sites; payment terminals and online gateways; an accounting link; and the guest network. IT for accommodation means supporting the devices, networks and accounts those systems rely on, and knowing which supplier owns each part when something fails.
Exodesk has supported New Zealand businesses since 1989. Today, our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide, with remote support, on-site attendance and travel agreed for each property.
Accommodation IT support, from reception to the rooms
Your accommodation IT support agreement lists what is covered, so reception staff know who to call and suppliers know where their work starts.
Devices and connectivity
Reception computers, printers, the local network and internet connections, with monitoring, updates and agreed backup of locally held data.
Networks and guest WiFi
Guest and staff networks kept separate, with coverage and capacity planned across rooms, cabins and shared areas.
Accounts and access
Named staff accounts, multi-factor authentication where suitable, and access added and removed as the season changes.
The support sits within our managed IT services agreement. Wireless design and installation are delivered through business WiFi, and a hotel restaurant or bar can use our hospitality IT support for its tills, ordering and kitchen equipment. Tourism operators taking bookings and deposits have similar needs and can be scoped the same way.
Reception systems and who handles what
A booking software supplier supports its application, while the devices, local network and internet connection at the property may be handled separately. Faults that cross those boundaries need an agreed coordinator.
Exodesk handles the agreed devices, networks, connectivity and staff accounts, and coordinates with your PMS, channel manager and payment suppliers when a fault involves them. We record the escalation contacts in advance, so nobody at reception has to work out who to ring in the middle of a check-in queue.
A channel manager reduces errors between the PMS and booking sites, but it does not remove the need for monitoring and reconciliation. Integrations into accounting reduce rekeying in the same way, and a reconciliation that will not balance can be the first sign that one has stopped. We confirm which booking and payment platforms you use before agreeing what support covers.
Guest WiFi across your property
Good accommodation IT support includes guest WiFi that reaches the rooms, cabins and shared areas guests use, and copes with the evening peak when everyone is streaming at once.
- Separation. Guest devices are isolated from reception, office and payment systems using appropriate network controls, then tested. A different WiFi name alone does not prove that access is blocked.
- Payments. The PCI Security Standards Council’s guide for small merchants advises merchants offering customer WiFi to use another network for the payment system. Confirm payment scope and validation requirements with your acquirer or payment provider.
- Coverage and capacity. Access points are planned around the layout, building materials, distances and peak demand, with reception traffic given priority over guest use.
- Holiday parks and spread sites. Outdoor coverage, separate buildings and distances can change the design and the cost, so the plan follows the property rather than the room count.
Our guest WiFi guide covers visitor access and separation in more detail.
Keeping reception working during an outage
A tested fallback plan is part of accommodation IT support: it reduces disruption when the internet, power or a booking platform fails. No single measure removes every outage, so the plan combines several.
- Backup connectivity. A second connection with configured, tested failover, sized from reception needs, mobile coverage and the impact of a failure. Two connections can still share power, carrier or equipment dependencies.
- Essential power. A UPS sized for the modem or ONT, router, switches and essential reception devices, with runtime tested under load rather than assumed.
- Payments. Whether a terminal keeps working depends on its own connection and the payment provider’s rules, so check this before relying on it.
- Secure fallback information. Agreed, secure access to the arrivals and room information staff need if the booking platform itself is unavailable.
- Staff practice. Reception staff know the fallback steps and have practised them, including how to reach supplier support.
Connection options and resilience are covered in our business internet guide.
Guest information and seasonal staff access
Guest names, contact details, identification, vehicle and stay notes are personal information. Under information privacy principle 5, they need security safeguards that are reasonable in the circumstances, and using a cloud booking platform does not remove that responsibility.
Collect only the guest details you need, restrict access by role, set retention rules and document what each supplier does with the data. Card data is best kept out of local systems: tokenisation and validated point-to-point encryption can reduce exposure and compliance scope, but they do not remove every merchant responsibility.
Seasonal staff need working access on their first shift and none after their last. Named accounts, multi-factor authentication where suitable, least-privilege roles and prompt leaver actions keep access matched to the people working. Individual logins on shared reception devices show who did what.
If a privacy breach has caused or is likely to cause serious harm, notify the Privacy Commissioner and affected people as soon as practicable, subject to the exceptions. The Commissioner’s breach notification guidance asks agencies to notify promptly and ideally within 72 hours; that is guidance rather than a fixed statutory deadline.
Support hours and property coverage
Accommodation trades when offices are closed, so accommodation IT support hours are agreed around your reception and check-in times rather than assumed.
Agree the scope
List the devices, networks, accounts and suppliers covered, and the exclusions, so everyone knows where support starts and stops.
Set hours and escalation
Confirm the hours covered, how urgent faults are reported, response targets, any after-hours, weekend or public holiday arrangements and their charges.
Support and coordinate
Handle faults remotely where possible, attend on site where the work needs it, and coordinate with your PMS, booking and payment suppliers.
Review each season
Check accounts, coverage, backups and the fallback plan before and after the busy season, and adjust the agreement as the property changes.
Response and resolution are different: a response target says how quickly we start work, not when every fault will be fixed, particularly where a supplier outage is involved. On-site attendance and travel are agreed for your location.
What affects accommodation IT costs?
The cost of accommodation IT support depends on the supported devices and users, the property layout, support hours and recovery requirements. The quote separates recurring support from one-off work so each part is clear.
- Recurring support. Devices and users covered, monitoring, updates and the agreed support hours.
- Licences and backup. Software licences and backup of locally held data, stated separately.
- Connectivity. Primary and backup internet services, with any failover equipment.
- Projects. Guest network builds, cabling, upgrades and installation, quoted as one-off work.
GST treatment, inclusions and exclusions are stated in the quote.
Accommodation IT support questions
What does accommodation IT support cover?
Accommodation IT support covers the agreed computers, networks, connectivity and staff accounts behind reception and guest operations. Your agreement should also identify who handles booking software, payments, backups and faults involving more than one supplier.
Does our booking software provider handle the whole IT environment?
Check your provider agreement. A booking software supplier supports its application, while devices, local networks and internet access may be handled separately. Record the escalation contacts and agree who coordinates faults that cross those boundaries.
Can we get support outside office hours?
Discuss your reception and check-in hours before agreeing support. Confirm the hours covered, how urgent faults are reported, the response target and any additional charges. Weekend or public holiday cover should be stated in the agreement.
What does IT support for a motel or hotel cost?
Cost depends on the supported devices and users, property layout, support hours and recovery requirements. Ask for recurring support, licences, backup and connectivity to be separated from installation or upgrade costs, with GST treatment stated.
Should guest WiFi be separated from reception and payments?
Yes. Guest devices should be isolated from business and payment systems using appropriate network controls. Different WiFi names alone do not prove that access is blocked. Test the separation and confirm payment requirements with your payment provider.
What can reception do during an internet or power outage?
Use a tested fallback plan covering essential power, backup connectivity and secure access to the information staff need. UPS runtime depends on the equipment connected. Mobile access depends on coverage, credentials and whether the booking platform itself is available.
Do holiday parks need a different approach?
The support principles are similar, but outdoor coverage, building separation and distances can change the design and cost. Plan around the property layout and peak guest demand, including cabins, reception and shared facilities.
How is IT for accommodation different from hospitality IT?
IT for accommodation centres on rooms, reservations, reception and guest stays. The hospitality service focuses on venue operations such as ordering, tills and kitchen equipment. A hotel with a restaurant may need both, with clear supplier responsibilities.
Is guest information covered by the Privacy Act?
Yes. Personal guest information needs reasonable safeguards, controlled access and appropriate retention. Using a cloud booking platform does not remove your responsibilities. For a suspected serious breach, assess the harm and act promptly using the Privacy Commissioner guidance.
Where does Exodesk provide accommodation IT support?
Exodesk has supported New Zealand businesses since 1989, and our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide. Remote support, on-site attendance and travel are agreed for your location. Tell us where the property is and what it needs.
Discuss your accommodation IT
Tell us your location, property type and the reception or guest connectivity problem you need to solve. We will confirm what our accommodation IT support can cover and scope the next step. Please leave passwords and guest information out of the enquiry.
Talk to us about your property
Tell us your business name, location, property type and what is not working, and we will be in touch to arrange a time that suits.
Prefer to talk?
Christchurch
Level 1, 85 Riccarton Road
Christchurch 8011
03 343 3124
Dunedin
Level 3, Bartons Building
2 Stafford Street, Dunedin 9016
03 479 2941