Skip to main content

Forget Wi-Fi. Florida hotel adds private 5G to its list of amenities

Private 5G networks are dramatically changing the way many industries operate, and now 5G is also transforming the hospitality industry. A Florida hotel has just become one of the first in the U.S. to deploy private 5G technology to deliver high-speed wireless access to its guests and unify all of its amenities.

Working in collaboration with private wealth management advisory firm GFO Investments and AirSpan Networks, the Gale South Beach is rolling out a private 5G network solution that it hopes will serve as a model for the rest of the hospitality industry.

Related Videos
The Gale South Beach Hotel in Florida.
Hilton

The hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton property in Miami Beach, already boasts numerous innovative high-tech amenities for its guests. For example, a Google Nest Hub in each room allows guests to order room service with a simple “Hey Google” request.

The new private 5G network will further enhance the guest experience by offering seamless network coverage throughout the entire facility, both indoors and outdoors.

This means that guests will have access to the hotel’s network and digital amenities whether they’re in their room, visiting one of the dining outlets, or hanging out by the rooftop pool.

Rooftop pool at The Gale South Beach hotel.
Hilton

The private 5G network will also be used to help tie together the integrated technology within the hotel, including each guest’s in-room Google Nest Hub. They’ll be able to use a hotel-provided app to monitor and control what’s going on in their room no matter where they are on the property.

“This new technology will provide hotel guests with the fastest and most responsive digital connectivity available, impacting both guest engagement and hotel operations,” said Russell Galbut, chairman of GFO Investments. “Launching at the Gale South Beach will open new doors for hoteliers, enabling operators to revolutionize their offerings with new technology, both in-room and across hotel campuses.”

The private 5G network will also be used by hotel staff to keep them connected with voice and data applications that will work no matter where they happen to be. This includes intranet and internet access applications and Push to Talk (PTT) services.

The 5G advantage for hospitality

Large hotels and resorts face many of the same problems as university and industrial campuses. They have too much territory to effectively and reliably cover with traditional Wi-Fi networks.

However, these challenges are magnified in the hospitality industry. Hotels are expected to deliver best-in-class service to their guests, from the check-in counter to the in-room amenities and hotel facilities.

Rooftop patio at The Gale South Beach Hotel.
Hilton

Handling the busy environment of a large resort is something that 5G technology is ideally suited for. Extensive range, lower latency, and the ability to handle many more devices mean that hotel operators don’t have to worry about network congestion, lagging connections, or dead spots that are more typical of Wi-Fi networks.

Using 5G, hotel systems can rapidly communicate with each other wirelessly, allowing for faster automated check-in and check-out procedures improved in-room services, and reduced waiting times.

The Gale South Beach also expects that its high-speed 5G network will address many of the challenges guests have had in the past when trying to set up videoconferences and virtual meetings.

Editors' Recommendations

Does the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G have a headphone jack?
Samsung Galaxy A14 in hand.

Revealed at CES 2023, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is a solid budget smartphone that brings a lot to the table for its $200 price tag. While a smartphone that costs so little compared to its flagship counterparts is bound to be missing some more premium features, there's still a lot to love about the A14. The follow-up to last year's A13, the Galaxy A14 5G is a great phone for anyone looking to experience Android 13 without breaking the bank. But here's an important question: Does the Galaxy A14 5G have a headphone jack?

Whenever a new device from Samsung launches, there are bound to be questions regarding the phone's specific hardware features. One point of interest for just about every smartphone is whether or not it has a headphone jack. As audio hardware has continuously moved in the wireless direction, more and more phones have been launching without them. But they aren't excluded from every release, so there's always a chance for a phone to still get a headphone jack.
The Galaxy A14 5G does have a headphone jack

Read more
Does the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G have wireless charging?
Samsung Galaxy A14 in hand.

Announced at CES 2023, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is an impressive follow-up to the A13 that launched in 2022. Despite being sold at a relatively low price when compared to other Galaxy smartphones, the A14 5G boasts some pretty solid specs and is an easy recommendation for anyone looking to get their hands on an Android 13 device for cheap. But with it being so cheap, that raises a question — does the Galaxy A14 5G have wireless charging?

Any time a smartphone is sold at a budget price, questions arise about which premium features have been cut out to justify its low cost. Often, wireless charging is one of the first to go, as it's only become a staple in premium offerings within the past few years. Now that the Galaxy A14 has been announced and is available for purchase, Galaxy fans may be wondering about its wireless charging capabilities. Here's everything you need to know about the Galaxy A14's charging options and its battery.
The Galaxy A14 5G does not have wireless charging

Read more
I don’t want to see 5G on any phone in 2023
OnePlus 7 Pro 5G

I don’t want to see 5G on any phone in 2023. Why? It’s a complete waste of space, nobody actually uses it, and to the average person on the street, it means absolutely nothing. Yet, it has been a regular feature on new phones for years now.

Before everyone gets all uptight and starts stabbing out an angry email, I’m not talking about 5G, I’m talking about the tiresome practice of adding 5G to the end of phone names. We get it, it has 5G. So do the vast majority of phones out there, and it’s time to differentiate those that don’t, rather than those that do.
Enough already
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Read more