Cisco Meraki sees the hotel of the future in its new Wi-Fi gear

The days when hotel Wi-Fi just connected travelers to the Internet are going away. Now it can be part of a system that helps give guests more personalized service -- if they don’t mind the hotel tracking their location on the property.

The new MR30H access point (AP) from Cisco’s Meraki division will work with Bluetooth beacons -- small wireless location devices that stores and other businesses are starting to use so they can tell where people are.

The benefits, as long as guests are willing to opt in, could include things like having an attendant walk up and offer a drink or a towel as you go out to the pool, thanks to your frequent-guest status, said Pablo Estrada, Meraki’s director of marketing.

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