Released On 26th Feb 2024

The best two-way radios for hotels and the hospitality sector

Our best-buy recommendations for radios in the hotel and hospitality sector, with a guide to how they improve communication, security and access.

Is your hotel, guest house, restaurant or tourist attraction upgrading an old radio system, or even considering radio communication for the first time?  Digital handheld radios have a range of benefits for businesses in the hospitality sector, as we outline below, but choosing the right one can be confusing without expert advice. With the benefit of our many years' experience, here are some important considerations, with our top picks of easy-to-use and feature-rich radios for hospitality manangers and their teams.

Improved guest experience 

Social media and popular review sites put your hotel’s services firmly in the spotlight, so providing guests with a five-star service has never been more important. Your radio system can help you achieve this through rapid and discreet communication between departments. 

Examples

• Reception needs to know if a newly arrived guest’s room is ready. Instant radio communication allows them to call specific housekeeping staff on that floor or send out a group call and get an answer in seconds. If a room isn’t ready yet, guests can quickly be pointed to the lounge or bar and the receptionist can radio bar staff as soon as their room is ready. 
• A number of our large hotel customers arrange for their concierge to discreetly radio ahead to the reception desk, so guests receive a prompt and warm welcome as they arrive. 

Stock control

Walkie-tallkies allow hotel staff to easily alert the relevant people if they have spotted a low stocked item or need to arrange a delivery of goods for the catering department.

Inter-department communication

Radios can be set up so that each department in your organisation has their own channel for individual communication. Another option is for all departments to be informed via main group channels. For maximum flexibility some radio models can also have individual call ID so every user can be contacted privately if required.

RadioTrader can help you programme your radios the way that best suits your business.

Programmable security or access features

Today’s feature-rich radios often come with built-in functions to improve your staff’s security, such as Lone Worker, Location Tracking or Emergency buttons. 

In addition, ask RadioTrader about the potential for us to program a link between your hotel’s fire alarm and security system so that a triggered alert is sent directly to your radio, or alerts can be triggered from the radio itself. Some radios can also be programmed to link to building access gates, so you’re able to open a gate directly from your radio.

Find out more about R-Linx Alarm Handler.

Cost-effective communications solution

Today’s two way radios are robust, reliable and very cost-effective to run compared with alternative solutions such as mobile phones. And when you consider the free expertise provided by RadioTrader and our first-rate repair service, the value for money is excellent. 

Simple to operate Push-To-Talk and earpieces available

RadioTrader supplies a full range of radio accessories, including earpieces, antennas, carry cases, speakers, spare batteries and chargers, so you always have reliable, up-to-date equipment that keps you communicating effectively.

Most of our radios are easy to operate but we’ll help you or your staff get up to speed if you need help with your new radio system. 

Recommended two-way radios for hotels

We’ve put together a whole page of two-way radios that we recommend for use in your hotel from leading brands such as Motorola and Hytera, but here are our top four:

Motorola SL2600

Perfectly suited to the hospitality sector, the Motorola SL2600 is a sophisticated mid-tier two-way radio that features an elegant virtual keypad display housed in a stylish and discreet design. The SL2600 offers quick access to key radio functions, along with important information at a glance. It also connects discreetly to Bluetooth devices for hand free communication. Find out more.

Hytera PD365LF

The Hytera PD 365LF is a cost-effective,licence-free radio that's small, lightweight, easy-to-use and has excellent audio quality. Being licence-free, there's no extra cost or programming issues, as it's already set. This radio would be most suitable for smaller organisations, as it's limited to the PMR446 range of frequencies allowed to licence-free users. However, hte Hytera PD365LF does have up to 256 channels and it operates in both digital and analogue modes. Find out more.

Motorola EVX-S24

The EVX-S24 is a feature rich, compact and lightweight handheld two-way radio that's ideal for discreet use in the hospitality sector due to its small size, variation in colour and LCD display for caller ID and individual call. This radio operates in both analogue and digital and is a cost effective solution for anyone looking to upgrade an existing analogue system to digital. Emergency Alert is a useful extra feature to help keep staff safe. Find out more.

Motorola CLK446

The Motorola CLK446 is another licence-free model, the perfect solution for retail and hospitality sectors, allowing for effective and licence-free communication. This device balances everyday durability and excellent performance with compact design. It comes with an innovative LED display, speaker and large PTT button and makes a simple yet powerful tool. Find out more.

For more information about any of RadioTrader’s products or services, Please contact us.