Hospitality Wi-Fi Is Broken. It’s Time to Fix It.

By Ted Watson, Vice President of Sales & Business Development 

We’ve been in the hospitality space a long time. Long enough to say this without flinching:

A lot of the pain MSPs are feeling today didn’t come out of nowhere.

It’s the result of years of overly complex systems, specialized deployments, and vendor practices that rewarded the complicated over the practical.

Some of us—Wi-Fi veterans who’ve been around since the early days—played a role in shaping that world. We helped normalize 30-minute installs, tech that only a CCIE could configure, and deployments that took a full project manager to pull off.

But here’s the truth in 2025: none of that matters to guests. They just want the Wi-Fi to work. Instantly. Everywhere. No excuses.

The brands want scale and speed across hundreds of properties.

And MSPs? They’re stuck in the middle, getting crushed by costs, expectations, and shrinking timelines. 

What’s Actually Going On

Logistics are a nightmare.

We’re talking about trying to schedule equipment deliveries, cable pulls, techs, and circuit turn-ups... across dozens of cities. At the same time. With not enough qualified people available.

Install windows are brutal.

Hotels don’t want to shut down rooms for longer than they have to. But if there’s a delay? That’s revenue lost. And the longer things drag out, the more it costs the MSPs.

Cabling is always a wildcard.

Even on “simple” upgrades, something’s going to go sideways with cabling. Recertifications, reruns, you name it. And that always equals more people, more scheduling, more cost.

Meanwhile, the brands keep growing.

We just saw Marriott pick up CitizenM. I spoke to one partner who more than doubled their property count in five years. Demand is exploding. Expectations are rising even faster.

And who’s stuck holding the bag? The MSP.

Why This Industry Is Tougher Than It Looks

Hospitality isn’t like other verticals. Properties are run by owner groups, not just the brand. That means one hotel might hold off on CapEx for months because they plan to sell.

But when a guest walks in, they expect the same experience in New York as they do in Fargo. That means the MSP has to deliver identical performance, documentation, and support no matter where the install is happening or who technically owns the building. 

And when Wi-Fi doesn’t work? The guest score drops. They don’t come back. And guess who gets blamed.

So What Are We Doing About It?

At Shasta Cloud, our mission is pretty simple: Make the job easier. Not for us, but for the MSPs doing the hard work.

We focus on:

• Cutting install time. Our goal is 12 minutes per access point. Not 30.
• Reducing the skill requirement. You shouldn’t need a CCIE on-site. We’re designing tech that’s easier to deploy, configure, and support.
• Delivering consistency. Same process, same output, whether it’s NYC or North Dakota.
• Using IA, not AI. We’re all for automation, but this isn’t hype. It’s about intelligent automation that makes deployment and support actually simpler.

MSPs need to get profitable again. If they don’t, the whole system breaks down. We’re doing everything we can to level the playing field for the folks in the middle. 

One Last Thought

Hospitality is booming again. Business travel is back. Hotel portfolios are growing fast. Tech expectations are sky-high.

Now’s the time to fix what we broke. Not with more complexity, but with smarter tools, better systems, and a whole lot less friction.

Let’s get back to delivering Wi-Fi that just works.

See you out there,

Ted Watson
VP of Sales & Business Development

Shasta Cloud

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