HOTEL · FRONT DESK
Equip front desk and concierge with 4–8 radios: discreet earpieces, low alert volume, 12-hour battery and a direct line to housekeeping and security.
Quick answer
The front desk is the most guest-visible radio position in the hotel. A loud speaker, a squelch burst or a shouted reply is immediately noticeable in the lobby. The radio has to work like a discreet earpiece, not a walkie-talkie on the counter.
At the same time, the front desk is the hub for room moves, luggage, taxis, VIP arrivals and emergency coordination. The configuration has to keep the audio private without slowing down the response.
Reach housekeeping for room status and engineering for a last-minute fix without leaving the guest.
Send the bell team to a room or a new floor with a single call and a clear group.
Coordinate the door and the driveway without shouting across the lobby.
Keep guest names and room numbers on a private group, not on a shared channel.
One emergency group reaches security, engineering and management at the same time.
| Position | Typical users | Radio & accessory | Talk group | Example quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front desk | 3–6 | Compact DMR handheld + earpiece | Front desk | 6 |
| Concierge | 1–3 | Compact handheld + earpiece | Front desk | 3 |
| Bell / luggage | 2–5 | Rugged handheld + earpiece | Front desk / rooms | 4 |
| Duty manager | 1–2 | DMR handheld + earpiece | Supervisory | 2 |
| Security desk | 1–2 | Base station | Security + emergency | 1 |
Example for a 200-room hotel. Add two spare batteries and a desk charger for the front desk.
| Accessory | Why it matters | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Earpiece | Keeps guest names and room numbers private | Acoustic tube or discreet wired earpiece |
| Alert volume | A loud alert in the lobby is a complaint | Set low for front-of-house groups |
| Desk charger | Keeps the radio available between shifts | One per desk position |
| Base station | Gives the security desk a fixed control point | At the security desk, not the front desk |
Guests should hear the welcome, not the radio. An earpiece keeps the conversation private and lets the staff member keep eye contact. A handheld on the counter with the speaker on is a guest-service problem, even when the audio is quiet.
Choose a discreet wired earpiece or an acoustic tube. For staff who wear glasses or a headset, test the fit before ordering; a loose earpiece is worse than no earpiece because the user turns up the volume.
A 200-room hotel typically needs 4–8 front-of-house radios: 3–6 at the desk, 1–3 concierge, 2–5 bell and 1–2 duty manager. Add a base station at the security desk rather than another handheld at the front desk.
For a smaller boutique hotel, 3–5 radios may be enough. The count should follow the number of staff on shift, not the room count alone.
Yes, through a gateway. A call can be transferred to a radio, and a radio user can reach an extension. This is useful when a guest call needs the duty manager or security and the person is away from a desk phone.
Agree which extensions and which talk groups are bridged. A radio that rings for every front-desk call is not a benefit; it is a new source of noise.
Use earpieces, set alert volume low, and write a short etiquette note: where to step away for a call, which alerts must be silent, and which group is for emergencies only. The radio should be invisible to the guest and audible to the staff.
A vibrate-only mode works for front desk, but not for security. Configure the alert behaviour by role, not one setting for the whole hotel.
Click a question to see the answer
A 200-room hotel typically needs 4–8 front-of-house radios across front desk, concierge, bell and duty manager. Add a base station at the security desk.
A full-service hotel with a repeater and 5 W handhelds needs a business licence. A small guesthouse using PMR446 within the 0.5 W limit may not need an individual licence.
A speaker carries guest names, room numbers and operational details into the lobby. An earpiece keeps the conversation private and avoids disturbing guests.
Yes, through a gateway. A call can be transferred to a radio and a radio user can reach an extension. The bridged extensions are agreed during design.
Use an earpiece, set low alert volume, and put guest-facing roles on vibrate or low tone. Keep emergency alerts audible for security and management only.
Send the site size, number of users and talk groups. Our engineers reply within one working day with a workable configuration.
