Travel and Hospitality Tech Outlook

VDA Telkonet has been recognized by Travel & Hospitality Tech Outlook Magazine as the exclusive recipient of “Top Smart Hospitality Technology Solutions 2026,” based on our proprietary methodology, reflecting its position in the industry, and is also named among “Top Smart Hospitality Solutions,” reflecting its broader leadership. This profile has been developed by the Travel & Hospitality Tech Outlook research and editorial team based on insights from an interview with Chad Burow, Chief Operating Officer Americas.

VDA Telkonet
Balancing Energy Efficiency with the Guest Experience

Chad Burow, Chief Operating Officer Americas

Hotel operators today must balance operational efficiency with the guest experience. Empty rooms present opportunities for energy savings, while occupied rooms must remain comfortable. Managing both requires technology that responds to room status, works with existing systems and adapts to different property requirements.

VDA Telkonet combines energy management systems (EMS) with guest room management systems (GRMS) within one hospitality-focused ecosystem. The EMS uses room status from the property management system to deepen setbacks in unsold rooms while maintaining comfort in sold rooms. This flexibility lets owners combine capabilities across property types, investment levels and guest expectations.

Its expertise stems from the 2021 merger of VDA and Telkonet. VDA contributes European expertise in guest room management systems, while U.S.-based Telkonet specializes in energy management. With decades of experience in hospitality technology, VDA Telkonet has installed its solutions in over one million rooms across more than 60 countries, adapting to different regional requirements, standards and design expectations.

The main difference between EMS and GRMS is what they are designed to achieve. Both EMS and GRMS use occupancy and room-status data to reduce energy waste, but with different goals. EMS mainly optimizes HVAC for energy efficiency, while GRMS focuses on the guest experience, managing room functions like lighting, temperature, access and curtains.

“We focus on connecting room technologies so they work seamlessly together, reducing friction and creating a more intuitive experience for guests,” says Chad Burow, Chief Operating Officer Americas.
Building around Connected Hospitality Systems

VDA Telkonet supports a range of HVAC configurations and voltage requirements, allowing hotels to integrate the technology into existing environments without replacing all their HVAC equipment. Its integration capabilities include major door-lock manufacturers and dozens of property management systems through cloud API, on-site IP and serial connections.

Its flexibility extends across property types and investment levels. Owners can select luxury features, including lighting controls and dimming, and introduce them into cost-effective configurations without committing to a full luxury specification. Select-service, full-service and luxury properties can choose capabilities suited to guest expectations under a common technology ecosystem.

We focus on connecting room technologies so they work seamlessly together, reducing friction and creating a more intuitive experience for guests.

Its technology moves beyond intermediary network architecture used in older systems. Instead of relying on access points and coordinators between the guest room and IT closet, it uses the property’s Wi-Fi through an isolated band. In some configurations, thermostats communicate directly with the cloud, reducing hardware, labor, expense and points of failure, simplifying deployment without compromising Wi-Fi performance. The architecture also undergoes penetration testing to meet the cybersecurity requirements of major hospitality brands.

Balancing Efficiency with the Guest Experience

VDA Telkonet’s software gives operators energy data to support sustainability goals, compare performance against ESG targets and identify actions, including adjusting room setbacks. That analysis draws on accumulated hospitality experience, helping the platform provide targeted recommendations without compromising guest comfort.

In one instance, a U.S. owner with approximately 15 properties wanted to manage ESG and carbon-reduction goals centrally while accounting for differences in climate and property type. VDA Telkonet’s cloud-based platform allowed the client to establish regional targets, view portfolio-level data remotely and adjust energy-management strategies according to local conditions. The technology platform was also standardized without applying identical guest-room specifications to every property.

“Design is part of our DNA, and sustainability means using energy more intelligently while improving building efficiency, guest experience and hotel operations,” says Barbara Alvino, Communication and Marketing Manager. “Technology should also make work easier for staff, giving them more time to focus on guests.”

Drawing on its Italian heritage, VDA Telkonet works with designers and architects to create room controls that reflect each space, including products developed with Gensler.

For VDA Telkonet, success means delivering a seamless guest experience supported by technology that works quietly in the background. That balanced focus on smart, guest-conscious hospitality technology has earned it the recognition of Top Smart Hospitality Technology Solutions 2026.

Smart Room Control without Retrofit Overreach

Hotel technology projects often look straightforward until room controls collide with mixed property vintages and brand standards. A system may promise better energy use or richer room automation, yet the buying decision depends on whether it can work across existing infrastructure without forcing unnecessary replacement. Executives, therefore, need to examine integration depth and retrofit practicality before feature breadth. Compatibility reaches beyond connecting to a property management system. Hotels run different HVAC configurations and building controls, often across portfolios assembled over the years. Smart-room technology should communicate reliably with those systems while limiting extra gateways and on-site hardware. The same discipline applies to network architecture. Every intermediary device adds installation work and another component that can fail, making simpler data paths attractive when they can use established property infrastructure without degrading guest Wi-Fi or security controls. Older properties raise the stakes further as available cabling, control panels and equipment layouts may sharply limit what can be changed without disturbing occupied rooms. “VDA Telkonet’s architecture can use a property’s Wi-Fi to move room data without dedicated corridor access points, while certain thermostats can communicate directly with the cloud when local server integration is unnecessary.” Energy management creates a different tradeoff. Aggressive setbacks can reduce wasted heating or cooling, but room conditions must still remain acceptable when guests return. Buyers should look closely at how occupancy and room sale status influence control logic across different climates. Reporting matters equally. Portfolio owners need data that can be viewed remotely and compared across properties, particularly when regional climates require different energy targets. Granular reporting is most useful when it leads to clear adjustments rather than leaving engineering teams to interpret raw data without context. Guest room management adds another layer as controls become part of the physical room experience. Lighting and temperature may share a common control environment alongside shading or access functions, but the hardware is also visible to the guest. Luxury properties may require materials and finishes that support the room design, while select-service properties may need fewer functions at a tighter cost point. A rigid product stack can make that middle ground difficult. Buyers should examine whether features can be combined selectively rather than forcing a choice between basic energy control and a full luxury package. Portfolio consistency can further complicate procurement. An ownership group may want common software and reporting across multiple hotels while allowing each property to match its own service level and building requirements. That makes scalability less about adding rooms and more about preserving a familiar management environment as property requirements change. Cybersecurity review and permission-based access also deserve scrutiny, alongside deployment effort, as a system that performs well after commissioning can still create friction if installation depends on extensive new infrastructure. VDA Telkonet combines energy management systems with guest room management systems that can be configured across different hotel formats. Its architecture can use a property’s Wi-Fi to move room data without dedicated corridor access points, while certain thermostats can communicate directly with the cloud when local server integration is unnecessary. It also supports integrations with major hotel systems and a broad range of HVAC configurations, which helps retrofit projects avoid wholesale equipment replacement. Its platform extends from occupancy-based energy control to lighting and customizable room interfaces, with shading available where required. For portfolios balancing retrofit constraints with centralized oversight, VDA Telkonet merits consideration. ...Read more

Travel and Hospitality Tech Outlook

VDA Telkonet Balancing Energy Efficiency with the Guest Experience

We focus on connecting room technologies so they work seamlessly together, reducing friction and creating a more intuitive experience for guests.

Deep Dive

Smart Room Control without Retrofit Overreach

VDA Telkonet
Balancing Energy Efficiency with the Guest Experience