Building a More Supportable Hospitality Network for Bon-Aire Resort Motel

Client Overview

Bon-Aire Resort Motel is a beachfront hospitality property in St. Pete Beach, Florida. For a resort environment, technology is not just a back-office convenience. Internet access, guest Wi-Fi, voice, reservations, payment systems, office computers, and vendor-managed equipment all affect the customer experience and daily operations.

The Challenge

The network was functional, but the environment had multiple layers that made long-term support difficult: provider-managed fiber, a managed network edge, managed Wi-Fi, onsite switching, guest connectivity, office systems, and planned Starlink failover. When an environment has this many moving pieces, the real problem is often not a single bad device. The bigger issue is lack of clear documentation, unclear support boundaries, and limited visibility into what each vendor controls.

The resort also needed practical answers before making changes. Could the existing provider-managed Meraki equipment support the desired network path? Could a new firewall sit behind the provider edge? Could Spectrum hand off service as Layer 2 if the resort wanted more control? Would Starlink failover create a clean backup path or accidentally create a second unmanaged network?

What We Did

• Reviewed the onsite network and identified the need for clearer labeling, documentation, and simplification.
• Confirmed with Spectrum Enterprise that the account included direct fiber, managed network edge equipment, and managed Wi-Fi.
• Identified the managed router/firewall platform as a Cisco Meraki MX85 with DHCP and multiple VLANs configured behind it.
• Confirmed that Spectrum-managed Wi-Fi included approximately 48 access points on site.
• Validated possible network paths, including placing a customer-managed firewall behind the Meraki or requesting a Layer 2 handoff from Spectrum if the resort wanted to manage the internal network directly.
• Built a proposal to finalize the network map, label critical uplinks and switch ports, organize key patching areas, remove unnecessary equipment where safe, and put monthly monitoring in place.
• Structured ongoing service around network monitoring, Starlink failover oversight, Spectrum/Meraki visibility where access is available, vendor coordination, Google Workspace support, endpoint patching, EDR/MFA support, email filtering, quarterly reviews, and monthly reporting.

Key Findings

• The environment was supportable, but only if the network was documented and ownership boundaries were clearly defined.
• Spectrum controlled critical parts of the edge and Wi-Fi environment, so vendor coordination had to be part of the support model.
• Failover planning required more than plugging in a backup internet line; it needed a clear decision on firewall placement, routing, and provider permissions.
• A monthly monitoring relationship made more sense than a one-time cleanup because hospitality networks change, vendors change, and outages need fast interpretation.

Outcome

The project moved Bon-Aire from a reactive support position toward a clearer managed network model. The resort gained a better understanding of which systems were provider-managed, where ITS could provide oversight, what needed to be documented, and what decisions were required before implementing controlled failover. The recommended approach created a cleaner support path for future troubleshooting and reduced the risk of finger-pointing between ISP, Wi-Fi, firewall, and onsite network equipment.

Why This Matters for Hospitality

Hotels and resorts depend on connectivity in ways guests rarely see until something fails. A network issue can affect reservations, guest satisfaction, credit card processing, staff communication, vendor systems, and online reputation. A managed IT partner gives hospitality operators one accountable technology advisor who can document the environment, coordinate vendors, monitor recurring issues, and help plan the next improvement before the next outage becomes a guest-facing problem.