1. Critical systems inventory
Start with a property-level list of the systems the hotel depends on. The goal is not to inventory every mouse and keyboard. Focus first on systems whose failure would affect guests, staff, revenue, safety, or basic operations.
- Internet service and WAN circuits
- Network gateways, switches, wireless access points, and point-to-point links
- Property management system and important interfaces
- Voice, guest-room phones, front-desk phones, and emergency calling
- Camera/NVR systems, access control, and electronic locks
- Guest TV, casting, payment, back-office servers, and other property-critical platforms
2. Equipment identity and location
For each important system, document enough information that a new technician can identify what they are looking for without guessing. A model number without a physical location is often not useful during an outage.
- Manufacturer and model
- Serial number or asset identifier where useful
- Rack, closet, room, building, or physical location
- Purpose or role in the environment
- Warranty or support status
- Management method or controller location
3. Vendor and escalation directory
Hotels commonly depend on many technology vendors. Record not only the company name but what each vendor actually owns or supports. This prevents the familiar outage loop where several providers point at one another.
- Primary support number and email
- Escalation contact
- Account or customer number
- Systems covered
- Support hours and service-level expectations
- What the vendor does not support
4. Internet and circuit details
Internet service deserves its own documentation because an ISP outage can make every other technology problem look worse. Capture enough information to open a carrier case quickly.
- Carrier and circuit ID
- Service address
- Bandwidth and service type
- Public IP information when appropriate
- Modem/ONT handoff location
- Billing account and contract term
- Backup circuit or failover method
5. Contracts, subscriptions, and ownership
A hotel should know what it owns, what it leases, and what is bundled into a managed service. This becomes critical during management transitions, renovations, acquisitions, and vendor changes.
- Start and renewal dates
- Auto-renewal terms
- Cancellation notice requirements
- Monthly or annual cost
- Hardware ownership
- Licensing and subscription dependencies
- Warranty expiration
6. Recovery and emergency procedures
Documentation should answer the first five minutes of a major outage: what should staff check, what should they avoid touching, and who should be called first? Keep procedures short enough to use under pressure.
- Internet outage steps
- Network/Wi-Fi outage escalation
- PMS or interface outage contacts
- Phone failure procedure
- Camera/NVR recovery path
- Critical power/UPS information
- Who can authorize vendor changes or emergency spend
7. Diagrams and dependencies
A simple current diagram is usually more valuable than a beautiful but outdated one. Show the major connections: ISP handoff, gateway, core switches, buildings, critical VLANs, wireless controllers, servers, and any wireless/fiber building links.
8. Review cadence and ownership
A documentation system needs an owner. Decide who verifies vendor contacts, contract dates, diagrams, equipment changes, and emergency procedures. Review after major projects and on a regular schedule even when nothing appears to have changed.