Electric vehicles are becoming a familiar sight in hotel car parks across the UK. For many guests, the ability to charge their car overnight is no longer a bonus, it’s part of choosing where to stay.

But while the demand for EV charging is clear, the way it’s implemented can vary dramatically. Some hotels find that chargers enhance the guest experience and add long-term value to the property. Others discover that poorly planned installations create frustration, underused infrastructure, or unnecessary operational headaches.

The difference rarely comes down to the technology itself. More often, it’s about whether the charging solution has been designed around how a hotel actually operates.

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Why Hotels Are a Unique EV Charging Environment

Hotels are very different from most commercial locations when it comes to EV charging. Guest behaviour, dwell time and site layout all shape how chargers are used.

Unlike retail sites or roadside hubs, where drivers may stop for 20 or 30 minutes, hotel guests typically leave their vehicles parked for several hours - often overnight. That longer dwell time means the goal is not rapid charging, but reliable charging that fits naturally into the stay.

For guests, the expectation is simple: they arrive, plug in, and their vehicle is ready by the morning. When this experience works smoothly, EV charging becomes an invisible but valuable part of the stay. When it doesn’t, it can quickly become a source of complaints.

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What Makes EV Charging Work at Hotels

Successful hotel charging installations tend to share a few common characteristics. The most important is that the infrastructure is designed around the guest journey rather than simply installed wherever space is available.

Location matters. Chargers placed close to reception or clearly marked guest parking areas are easier to find and encourage use. Visibility also signals to arriving drivers that the hotel understands their needs.

Equally important is matching the charger type to the way guests stay. Because vehicles are usually parked overnight, fast AC chargers are often sufficient. Guests do not need a rapid top-up, they simply need dependable charging that completes while they sleep.

The operational side also plays a role. Hotels benefit most when EV charging runs quietly in the background without placing additional demands on staff. Front-of-house teams should not be expected to troubleshoot technical issues or manage complex systems during busy check-ins.

Finally, the financial model needs to make sense for the property. EV charging can support guest satisfaction and attract new visitors, but hotels rarely want to tie up significant capital or manage infrastructure long-term. Flexible funding models can remove that barrier and allow sites to offer charging without upfront investment.

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What Often Goes Wrong

When EV charging doesn’t work well at hotels, it is usually because the solution was designed without considering how the property operates.

One common mistake is installing chargers that are too powerful for the site’s needs. Rapid chargers can be valuable in certain environments, but they are rarely necessary for overnight hotel stays. They can also place unnecessary strain on a site’s electrical capacity.

Another issue arises when too few chargers are installed initially, creating competition for spaces and frustration among guests. As EV adoption grows, hotels need solutions that can scale over time rather than requiring major upgrades later.

Operational responsibility can also become a challenge. When hotels are left to manage charging infrastructure themselves - including maintenance, monitoring and troubleshooting - the technology quickly becomes another task for already stretched teams.

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Real-World Installations Designed Around Hotel Use

When EV charging is planned with these factors in mind, the results can be highly effective.

At Cameron House on Loch Lomond, for example, Connekt designed and installed EV charging across multiple areas of the resort to serve a mix of hotel guests, golf visitors and staff. Chargers were positioned strategically across the property so they were accessible without disrupting the guest experience.

Because the installation reflected how the resort operates — with overnight stays, leisure visitors and longer dwell times — charging integrates naturally into the site rather than feeling like an afterthought.

Projects like this demonstrate how EV charging works best when it is treated as part of the hospitality experience rather than simply another piece of infrastructure.

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Charging That Fits Your Hotel

As EV adoption continues to grow, the question for hotels is no longer whether to offer EV charging, but how to do it in a way that genuinely works.

The most successful projects start by understanding the site — its power capacity, its guest behaviour and its long-term plans — before deciding what type of charging infrastructure makes sense.

When done properly, EV charging enhances the guest experience, supports sustainability goals and helps future-proof the property. When done poorly, it can introduce cost and complexity without delivering real value.

The difference lies in designing a solution that fits the hotel.

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Book a Call

If you’re exploring EV charging for your hotel and want to understand what would work best for your site, the first step is a conversation.

Book a call with Connekt to discuss your property, your guests and the most appropriate charging model for your location.

Because the right EV charging solution should feel like part of the guest experience, not a technical project you have to manage.

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