Hydro Hotel is a landmark independent hotel on Eastbourne's seafront, set in its own private grounds and welcoming leisure, event and business guests throughout the year across around 100 guest rooms.
As guests increasingly expect fast, reliable connectivity in every part of a hotel — and as more of the hotel's own operations move online — the Hydro set out to modernise its technology from the ground up.
Working in partnership with Lightning Fibre, technology partner M-Tech Systems delivered a complete modernisation of the hotel's estate, built on a 1Gbps full-fibre connection. Everything from guest Wi-Fi to telephony, CCTV, cloud and cyber security now runs on a single, resilient platform.
The Challenge
The hotel's technology had grown up over many years — four separate networks, patchy guest Wi-Fi, an ageing on-site server and analogue systems that no longer matched the expectations of a modern hotel.
The Hydro needed a solution that could:
- Deliver fast, reliable internet across the whole property
- Provide dependable Wi-Fi coverage in every room, the public spaces and the gardens
- Support cloud systems, telephony and IP CCTV over one connection
- Improve security and separate guest traffic from hotel operations
- Retire the ageing on-site server
- Be delivered around a live, working hotel — without disrupting guests
- Provide a scalable platform for whatever comes next
The Solution
M-Tech Systems designed and delivered a complete managed technology estate, all built on Lightning Fibre's 1Gbps full-fibre service.
Connectivity
- 1Gbps Lightning Fibre full-fibre connection — leased-line-grade speed and reliability, at business-grade pricing
- As one of Lightning Fibre's top technology partners, M-Tech has a direct line into the Lightning Fibre network operations centre, so any issue goes straight to the right engineers rather than a generic support queue
Wireless
- Professionally surveyed Wi-Fi across the hotel and gardens
- Separate guest and operational networks, centrally managed and secured
Voice & Telephony
- Cloud-hosted telephony across the whole hotel
- 100 in-room Wi-Fi phones, delivered over the wireless network — removing the need for the hotel's old bedroom phone cabling
Cloud, Security & CCTV
- Microsoft 365 and cloud systems, with the old on-site server retired
- IP CCTV and building security
- Layered cyber security, backup and proactive monitoring
Underpinning all of it, four separate networks were replaced with a single managed, segmented platform — so guest Wi-Fi, telephony, cameras, cloud and operations all share one resilient connection while staying safely apart.
The Result
Almost everything guests and staff at the Hydro now rely on runs on its Lightning Fibre connection.
Key Benefits
✔ Fast, reliable Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and gardens ✔ Cloud telephony and 100 in-room Wi-Fi phones on a single platform ✔ IP CCTV, cyber security, backup and monitoring ✔ Microsoft 365 and cloud systems, with the on-site server retired ✔ Guest and operational traffic securely separated ✔ Partner-grade support, with a direct escalation path into Lightning Fibre's NOC ✔ A resilient, scalable platform delivered without disrupting a live hotel
The combination of Lightning Fibre's gigabit full-fibre network and M-Tech's managed technology solution has given the Hydro a modern digital foundation — one that meets the expectations of today's guests and has the headroom for whatever the hotel does next.
