15.06.2025
Why Hotels Around the World Are Moving to Cloud Network Management
Discover why hospitality leaders move to cloud-based infrastructure and how Aruba Central helps simplify, secure, and scale hotel Wi-Fi across multiple properties.
The Advantages of Aruba Central for the Hospitality Industry
A modern hotel is no longer just a building with Wi-Fi — it’s a digital ecosystem. Today’s hospitality operations rely on stable connectivity, strong security, centralized equipment control, and scalable infrastructure. More and more hotels globally are adopting cloud-based network management, and Aruba Central by HPE Aruba is leading that transition.
What Is Aruba Central?
Aruba Central is a cloud-native platform designed to manage enterprise-grade networks of any size. Hotel IT teams can manage access points, switches, gateways, VPNs, and controllers from a single interface across all properties and remote sites.
Key Features:
- Unified Network Management: One cloud dashboard for the entire infrastructure — from the central hotel to branch properties and offsite locations.
- AI-Driven Intelligence: Built-in AIOps proactively detects and resolves issues before they impact guests or operations.
- Enterprise-Grade Security: Zero Trust architecture, role-based access control, network segmentation, ClearPass integration, and IDS/IDP compatibility.
- Scalable Without Hardware Overhead: There is no need for physical controllers at each site.
- Automation and Open APIs: Supports advanced automation and integration with external monitoring systems.
Why This Matters for Hotels
1. Network Demands Are More Complex Than Ever
Guests now bring multiple devices and expect seamless streaming, innovative room features, and business-grade connectivity. That requires not just bandwidth, but also automation, reliability, and predictive insights.
2. Multi-Property Network Management
Central control is critical for hotel groups with multiple locations. Aruba Central gives you one place to manage and monitor your network without installing local controllers in every building. It’s ideal for distributed hospitality networks.
3. Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
We calculated the TCO of a sample network setup using:
- 150 Aruba AP505 access points
- 9 Aruba 6000 24G PoE switches
- 1 Aruba 6100 24G PoE switch
TCO Comparison:
| Period | Solution | Cost (GPL*) |
| 5 years | Aruba Central (cloud) | $ 256 010 |
| 5 years | On-premises controller | $ 241 606 |
| 7 years | Aruba Central (cloud) | $ 289 410 |
*Prices in GPL are provided for proportional comparison. For project discounts, please contact our sales department.
While the on-premises setup may appear slightly cheaper initially, Aruba Central supports the full 7-year network lifecycle. Local controller solutions typically cap out at 5 years and require additional investment in updates, support staff, and hardware redundancy. Factoring in all these elements, the cloud proves more cost-effective in the long term.
Preparing for Wi-Fi Evolution
Wi-Fi standards evolve rapidly. A new generation appears every 4–6 years, and hotels need flexible infrastructure to keep up.
| Generation | Standard | Year | Speed |
| Wi-Fi 5 | 802.11ac | 2013 | up to 6.77 Gbps |
| Wi-Fi 6 | 802.11ax | 2019 | up to 11 Gbps |
| Wi-Fi 7 | 802.11be | 2024 | up to 30 Gbps |
Meanwhile, hotels typically upgrade network hardware every 7+ years, while guests change devices every 2–5 years. That means your infrastructure must be future-ready or risk fragmentation and poor performance.
Aruba Central vs. Traditional On-Premises Controllers
FeatureAruba Central (Cloud)On-Prem Controller
Network Management
Aruba Central (Cloud) ✅ Single, cloud-based dashboard
On-Prem Controller ❌ Fragmented, site-by-site
Scalability
Aruba Central (Cloud) ✅ Add new sites without hardware
On-Prem Controller ❌ Requires new controllers
Intelligence & AI
Aruba Central (Cloud) ✅ Built-in diagnostics & optimization
On-Prem Controller ❌ Manual monitoring only
APIs & Automation
Aruba Central (Cloud) ✅ Full REST APIs, DevOps-friendly
On-Prem Controller ⚠️ Limited options
Updates & Support
Aruba Central (Cloud) ✅ Always current, cloud-delivered
On-Prem Controller ❌ Manual updates, support expiration
Reliability
Aruba Central (Cloud) ✅ Cloud redundancy & failover
On-Prem Controller ⚠️ Hardware-dependent
Security
Aruba Central (Cloud) ✅ Zero Trust, ClearPass, IDS/IDP
On-Prem Controller ⚠️ Limited, often separate tools
TCO Over 7 Years
Aruba Central (Cloud) ✅ Lower, with support & resilience
On-Prem Controller ❌ Higher, with upgrades & labor
The Bottom Line
Aruba Central is built for tomorrow's hospitality industry and is available today.
Whether you're running a boutique property or managing a multi-location hotel group, Aruba Central brings clear advantages:
- Lower long-term costs
- Smarter, AI-driven management
- Seamless scalability
- Enterprise-grade security
- Reduced IT burden
It’s more than just cloud networking — it’s a platform that adapts to the pace of modern hospitality. And that’s why forward-thinking hotels around the world are making the switch.
Want to See It in Action? Let’s Talk.
Reading about cloud-managed networks is one thing; seeing how they actually work in a hotel environment is another.
If you're curious about how Aruba Central could fit into your property or group of hotels, I’d be happy to give you a live, personalized demo. There will be no pressure, no sales script, just a practical look at what’s possible.
In our short session, I can show you:
- How to manage multiple hotel networks from a single dashboard
- How AI helps resolve issues before guests notice them
- How to simplify operations without adding complexity
- How Aruba Central keeps your network secure, scalable, and future-ready
Book a free demo today — and let’s explore how to make your hotel’s network smarter, leaner, and ready for what’s next.
Let’s turn your network into an asset — not a headache.
