Hospitality EV Charging: Turning a Premium Amenity into Profit
What Commercial Property Owners Need to Know
Your guests expect clean sheets, a cozy room, and now, a fully charged car in the morning. EV charging is no longer just a perk; it is the number one booking filter for modern travelers. By implementing the right Level 2 charging speeds, seamless access control, and smart billing solutions, hotel operators can turn this mandatory amenity into a profitable asset that pays for itself.
Welcome back to another episode of EV Charging Minute, your weekly podcast where we share tips, ideas, information, and best practices all around EV charging in commercial real estate. I'm Tony Booth, your host and co-founder of Stay-N-Charge.
We cut our teeth in EV charging in the hospitality, hotel, and resort market. We built Stay-N-Charge on day one to focus heavily on that hospitality side, which led to the creation of the Stay-N-Charge directory—a comprehensive database of every hotel we know of offering EV charging.
If you operate a select service hotel or a luxury resort and don't have chargers yet, you need to get on the ball, or you are going to lose customers. Here is how to implement hotel EV charging the right way.
Why is EV charging the most important hotel amenity?
The data on driver demand is staggering. Anywhere from 75% to over 80% of EV drivers responding to surveys state that EV charging is the number one thing they look for when booking a hotel. Hilton recently noted that EV charging has become the most frequently clicked filter in their reservation system.
But here is the best part about this amenity: it pays for itself.
When you give away a free continental breakfast or maintain a swimming pool, you don't get paid directly for guests using them. EV charging is different. Drivers expect to pay a fair fee for the convenience of waking up in the morning with a fully charged car. You are providing a premium service, and you will charge the guest for that overnight electricity, creating a direct return on your investment.
Should hotels install Level 2 or DC Fast Chargers for overnight guests?
A massive mistake hotels make is misjudging the required charging speed. 90% of the time, hotel charging should utilize Level 2 chargers.
If you put an ultra-fast DC charger in a hotel parking lot, a guest's car will be completely full in 30 to 45 minutes. You cannot expect a guest to wake up, get out of their comfortable bed at 2:00 AM, and walk down to the parking lot to move their car to avoid idle fees. That is the exact opposite of hospitality. Level 2 charging perfectly matches the overnight dwell time of your guests.
How do hotels control access and bill guests for EV charging?
Controlling who uses your chargers (access control) and how they pay is critical. If you have an open, unguarded parking lot, you need strict access control to prevent non-guests from monopolizing the stations. If you operate a gated garage or offer valet parking, access control is handled naturally by your staff.
Because every property is unique, the billing and hardware solutions must match the operational style of the hotel.
Hotel Property Type:
Recommended Hardware Solution
Access Control Method
Guest Billing Strategy
Small / Budget / Rural:
"Smart Start" Basic L2
RFID Card or PIN Code
Flat fee added at front desk check-in
Typical Mid-Scale:
"Tap and Charge" L2
Open Lot / POS Terminal
Tap-to-pay credit card (frictionless vending)
Luxury / Valet-Serviced:
PMS-Integrated L2
Gated Garage / Valet
Billed directly to the guest's room folio
Highway / Interstate:
"EV Cafe" DC Fast Charging
Public Open Access
Pay per kWh / Cross-promote automated food kiosks
Breaking Down the Solutions:
The "Tap and Charge" Model: For typical hotels, we highly recommend a Level 2 charger with an integrated tap-to-pay POS system. There are no mandatory apps to download and no ongoing software fees for the driver. It operates just like a frictionless vending machine.
The Valet / PMS Model: For luxury brands, integration is everything. We utilize chargers designed to communicate directly with your Property Management System (PMS). The charger turns on via guest credentials, and the cost of the session is seamlessly added to their final room bill.
The Highway "EV Cafe": If your hotel is located right off a major interstate, it makes a great ad hoc charging depot. We developed the "EV Cafe" concept to combine fast chargers with automated food kiosks (like California Pizza Kitchen) in the lobby, capturing highway traffic and driving auxiliary revenue.
How can hotels maximize ROI on their EV charging investment?
Having chargers in your lot is only half the battle; people need to know they exist. To get the best ROI, you have to capture travelers when they are planning their trip weeks in advance, not just when they are driving by on Google Maps.
Update Your Directories: Ensure your property is listed on stayincharge.com (requires a Level 2 charger or better on-premise), the Bonvoy app, the Hilton app, and all other brand networks.
Promote Everywhere: Verify that the "EV Charging" amenity box is checked on your proprietary website and all Online Travel Agencies (OTAs like Expedia and Booking.com).
Monitor Your Reviews: Keep a close eye on platforms like PlugShare. A badly managed, broken charger leads to terrible reviews and directly results in lost room bookings.
If you have a hotel today, take a hard look at how you are promoting your EV chargers. If you don't have them yet, remember: it is not a matter of "if," but "when."
