How hotels and convention centres regain flawless mobile coverage

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Modern hotels and conference venues invest heavily in comfort, ambience and an outstanding guest experience. Yet one crucial factor often remains underexposed: the quality of mobile coverage within the building. Guests expect calling, streaming, presenting and collaborating to run smoothly. Conference organisers count on stable connections for hybrid meetings and digital interaction tools. But buildings that are perfectly insulated often turn out to have the worst mobile signal penetration.

Energy-efficient windows and metal coatings are great for durability, but they almost completely block mobile signals. The result is recognisable to many hoteliers and conference operators: dropped calls, slow internet and business guests annoyed by something that should simply be a basic facility. This directly affects a venue's reputation and competitiveness.

The technology behind glass that does cooperate

One innovation that is spreading rapidly in the hospitality sector is WAVETHRU, a technology where an almost invisible micro-laser pattern is applied to existing glazing. This breaks through part of the metal coating that blocks mobile signals, while leaving the insulating properties of the glass intact. The result is that the mobile signal can once again enter the building freely, without the need for antennas, amplifiers or large-scale installations.

The distinctive advantage is that this treatment is applied directly to the current glass. Nothing needs to be replaced, no refurbishment is required and rooms do not have to be taken out of service. The technology works for all telecom providers and all common mobile technologies, including the latest 5G applications. As such, it fits seamlessly into the increasingly digital hotel and conference environment, where smart rooms, IoT systems and hybrid events are now taken for granted.

Moreover, the timing of implementation does not matter. Operators do not have to wait for a renovation or new construction project. Treatment can take place right in the middle of the operational bustle, with no disruption to guests, no inconvenience to staff and no impact on daily occupancy. This is precisely what makes it a realistic solution for sites that are in continuous operation.

Impact for guests and business users

The gain in experience is immediate. Guests experience more stable coverage in rooms, lobbies and meeting rooms. Business users can confidently video call, stream and collaborate without hiccups. Staff benefit from more reliable internal communication. For convention centres, an important benefit is added: hybrid meetings and data-rich presentations run more smoothly and professionally.

A solution like this future-proofs a venue without having to build heavy technical infrastructure. It is a strategic choice to see connectivity as part of comfort and hospitality, not a technical sideshow.

Of course, a preliminary analysis is essential to determine where the real bottlenecks are in the building and which glass surface is hindering the signal the most. But in many cases, it turns out that precisely this targeted approach makes it possible to achieve big gains quickly and effectively.

Hotels and convention centres that want to strengthen their digital foundation therefore do not have to wait for a major refurbishment. With a smart and subtle intervention in the existing building envelope, mobile coverage becomes natural again. This is exactly the kind of innovation that fits in a sector that is all about efficiency, comfort and a guest experience that has to be truly seamless.