Business TV, at the heart of B&B HOTELS' digital strategy

In 2022, B&B HOTELS had seven hotels in Belgium and was already using Proximus NXT for various products and services (fixed and mobile telephony, fiber, IPTV, security, etc.) to support its expansion.

The gamble paid off as the number of hotels has doubled in three years with the chain now having fourteen hotels in Belgium. These are in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Hasselt, Liège, Namur, Mechelen, Mons, Diegem, and Luxembourg.

As we don't have an IT department in Belgium, we need the trained and experienced specialists at Proximus NXT.

Grégory Marchand, Sales Director at B&B HOTELS Belgique

Standardization across all hotels

“As with many hotel chains, our IT department is based abroad,” Grégory Marchand, Sales Director at B&B HOTELS Belgique, explains. “We rely entirely on Proximus NXT; for fiber and hardware installation, troubleshooting, interventions, development, etc. As we don’t have an IT department in Belgium, we need their trained and experienced specialists.”

More than ever, B&B HOTELS Belgique relies on its trusted partner and has now signed a framework agreement. The aim? To harmonize all services, including the professional IPTV solution Business TV, telephony, and connectivity at all its Belgian sites. “The collaboration is excellent,” Grégory Marchand says. “Proximus NXT is always attentive and responds to our requests with great flexibility.”

Digitalization is well underway

Connectivity is essential for running the hotels, but it is also essential for customers. They demand a fast and reliable internet connection, especially as customer communication is mainly done via online applications and there are no longer any landline telephones in the rooms. Instead, guests scan a QR code to communicate with reception. Staff are equipped with smartphones and only reception still has a telephone exchange.

“Digitalization has become widespread in recent years, both among our customers and in our internal operations,” Grégory points out. “We have to keep up to date in this hyperconnected world dominated by digital interaction. In some new hotels, we install automatic code dispensers for coded locks to enable automatic check-in. We are increasingly using digital tools that must interact seamlessly, which requires flawless connectivity."

Grégory Marchand, Sales Director at B&B HOTELS Belgique

Professional and comprehensive IPTV solution

The brand’s various hotels offer television in all rooms and public areas with a total of around 1,750 screens. In new hotels or during renovations, Proximus NXT provides a complete system, including screen installation and all Business TV solutions.

In the rooms, guests have access to a wide range of channels in different languages as they find being able to access content in their native language very important. Dynamic displays are used in the public areas to communicate effectively with guests, broadcasting rates, messages, promotions, videos and high-resolution photos, etc.

Optimal use of public screens

B&B HOTELS Belgique also complies with its legal obligations by displaying its rates on screens located at reception. “As some prices are dynamic, we need a highly responsive system such as Business TV,” Grégory explains. The screens alternate between rates and more marketing-oriented messages such as information about the destination, special offers, new hotel openings, loyalty programs, etc.

In some of its hotels, B&B HOTELS broadcasts the news, the weather, or major sporting events on public televisions installed in the bars and common areas. Many guests prefer to watch a football match while having a beer with other people rather than being confined to their rooms.

Grégory Marchand, Sales Director at B&B HOTELS Belgique

Satisfaction on both sides

The brand’s hotel guests are happy with the connectivity and the TV package offered in their rooms. “The absence of complaints proves that the system is working properly,” Grégory aptly remarks. When the reception desk is busy, guests also appreciate being able to quickly find the information they need on the screen, without having to wait.

For staff, the public screens support communication. They make the receptionists' work easier and speed up check-in. They also stimulate additional sales. “Someone who hasn't booked breakfast, for example, may be tempted to do so when they see photos of breakfast displayed on the screen,” Grégory explains.

While Business TV contributes to the brand image of B&B HOTELS Belgique, digital signage also supports the chain's paperless policy, which means that almost no brochures are printed anymore. “‘We are also considering deploying Business TV on screens in lifts or on landings as these waiting areas are ideal for reading useful information, such as bar opening hours or nearby activities,” Grégory thinks ahead.

Grégory Marchand, Sales Director at B&B HOTELS Belgique

Looking to the future with Proximus NXT

“We are very satisfied with Proximus NXT. I am convinced that we will realize many more projects together. In the age of artificial intelligence, connected television, and digital interactions, we must continue our digitalization and promote the communication channels that our customers prefer in order to remain competitive. It's a matter of survival," Grégory concludes.