The Eddie is a 160-room hospitality property located in Gillette, Wyoming. For more than 50 years, the hotel has served business travelers, tourists and visitors to Wyoming’s energy-producing region. As guest expectations and hospitality technology standards continued to evolve, hotel leadership recognized an opportunity to modernize key communications and technology systems throughout the property.
As National Hospitality Services, the hotel’s award-winning hospitality management partner, evaluated future brand opportunities and long-term growth plans for the property, it identified an opportunity to modernize the hotel’s communications and technology infrastructure. The initiative was designed to create a more connected, secure and guest-focused technology environment and included upgrades to internet connectivity, Wi-Fi, voice communications, network infrastructure and property access systems.
Working together, National Hospitality Services, The Eddie and Salt River Connect embarked on a comprehensive technology transformation designed to enhance the guest experience, improve operational efficiency and establish a scalable foundation for future hospitality initiatives.
The Challenge: Preparing for the Next Generation of Hospitality Technology
Like many established hospitality properties, The Eddie was operating on technology systems that had been implemented over time to support evolving business needs.
Working alongside National Hospitality Services, hotel leadership identified opportunities to improve connectivity, communications, operational visibility and security by adopting modern hospitality technologies and infrastructure standards.
Guest expectations for always-on connectivity had increased significantly in recent years, creating a need for expanded Wi-Fi coverage, greater bandwidth capacity and a more consistent experience throughout the property. At the same time, the hotel sought to modernize communications systems, streamline internal operations and enhance support for guest services.
The project also provided an opportunity to refresh core network infrastructure, improve documentation and management capabilities, strengthen cybersecurity protections and ensure alignment with current emergency communications requirements and hospitality best practices.
Rather than making incremental updates over time, The Eddie chose to invest in a comprehensive modernization strategy that would support both current operations and future business objectives.
For a property focused on delivering exceptional guest experiences, the initiative represented an important step toward creating a more connected, efficient and future-ready hospitality environment.
The Solution: A Complete Technology Modernization
Salt River Connect worked closely with National Hospitality Services and The Eddie’s leadership team to develop a comprehensive modernization strategy that addressed both immediate operational challenges and long-term business objectives.
Rather than replacing individual systems one at a time, Salt River Connect delivered a fully integrated technology platform designed to improve guest connectivity, enhance staff communications, strengthen security and support future hospitality brand requirements.
Internet
Salt River Connect replaced the hotel’s existing slow internet connection with a fiber-based network delivering symmetrical 500Mbps speeds. The upgraded connectivity provides the reliable, high-speed foundation required to support guest internet usage, cloud-based applications, voice services and day-to-day hotel operations.
WiFi
A property-wide Ubiquiti UniFi wireless network was deployed across all three floors of guest rooms, the lobby, pool area, conference rooms, kitchen and bar. More than 60 wireless access points were installed, eliminating dead zones and weak signal areas while delivering consistent Wi-Fi coverage throughout the property.
Voice & Communications
The hotel’s failed 35-year-old phone system was replaced with a modern cloud-based communications platform serving all 160 guest rooms, administrative offices and common guest areas including the lobby, pool and conference facilities.
The new solution provides full compliance with Kari’s Law and the Ray Baum’s Act, ensuring proper 911 functionality throughout the property. Wi-Fi-enabled handsets were deployed in locations where traditional cabling was impractical, including the pool and lobby areas.
An automated attendant was also implemented to route callers directly to reservations, sales and other departments, improving the guest experience from the first point of contact.
Door Locks & Security
Salt River Connect installed new card-reader door lock systems on all guest room doors and exterior access points. The upgrade improved security, enhanced guest access reliability and helped bring the property into alignment with current hospitality brand security standards.
IT Infrastructure
The hotel’s aging and undocumented network infrastructure was replaced with enterprise-grade technology designed for reliability, security and simplified management.
The modernization included a WatchGuard Firewall to strengthen network security and a Fortinet router to improve performance and resiliency. The result is a secure, fully documented IT environment capable of supporting critical hotel systems, including property management, point-of-sale, guest services and administrative operations.
The Results: Better Connectivity, Better Operations and a Better Guest Experience
Following the deployment, The Eddie experienced a significant improvement in both guest-facing and operational technology services.
Guests now benefit from reliable property-wide Wi-Fi coverage, improved internet performance and dependable communications services throughout their stay.
For hotel staff, the modernization created a more reliable operational environment. Communications improved, business-critical applications perform more consistently and technology-related disruptions have been significantly reduced.
The hotel also ensured compliance with federal E911 requirements while strengthening its cybersecurity posture through modern network and firewall technologies.
Most importantly, the property now has a technology foundation capable of supporting future hospitality initiatives, evolving guest expectations and new brand standards.
The Eddie’s transformation demonstrates how strategic technology investments can improve both operational performance and the guest experience. By modernizing its communications, connectivity and network infrastructure, the hotel is better positioned to continue to a provide high-quality employee and customer experience.
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