“How much will new WiFi cost?” is usually the first question a hotel owner asks, and the honest answer is that it depends on your building. Two 60-room hotels can have very different quotes because one has open drywall corridors and existing cabling, and the other has concrete walls and nothing usable in the ceilings.
This guide breaks down what actually drives the cost of hotel WiFi installation in Ontario, gives ballpark ranges in Canadian dollars, and shows the ongoing costs owners often forget to budget for.
All figures are estimates in CAD before HST, for planning only. Your property’s price depends on a site survey.
Quick Answer
For a new enterprise-grade guest WiFi system with new cabling, many Ontario hotels spend roughly $350 to $900 per room. A typical 60-room limited-service hotel often lands somewhere in the $20,000 to $55,000 range for hardware, cabling, installation and configuration. Reusing existing cabling or choosing mid-range hardware can bring that down significantly.
What Goes Into the Cost
1. Access points
Access points are the radios that guests connect to. Hotel-grade options range from cost-effective cloud-managed lines such as TP-Link Omada to enterprise platforms such as Ruckus and Aruba, which handle dense, busy environments better and come with stronger management and support. Expect enterprise access points to cost several times more than entry-level business units, plus support or licence terms in some cases.
How many you need matters more than the unit price. Many hotels end up with roughly one access point for every three to five rooms, plus dedicated coverage for public spaces. Putting too few access points in corridors to save money is the most common reason hotel WiFi slows down when the hotel is full.
2. Cabling
Every access point needs a network cable back to a switch. In Ontario, a single new Cat6 drop commonly costs a few hundred dollars installed, and more in finished buildings where ceilings are closed, walls are concrete or fire separations have to be maintained. Reusing existing cabling that tests clean is one of the biggest ways to save.
3. Switching, firewall and internet
Access points are powered and connected by PoE switches, and the network needs a firewall or gateway that keeps guest traffic separate from your front desk, PMS and payment systems. If your internet connection is too small for a full house, even perfect WiFi will feel slow, and a backup internet connection keeps check-in and payments running if the main line drops.
4. Design, installation and configuration
A proper site survey and design, physical installation, configuration of guest and staff networks, captive portal setup and testing at full occupancy are all part of the job. Skipping the survey to save money usually means coverage gaps you pay to fix later.
Ballpark Costs by Component
| Item | Typical range (CAD, before HST) | What changes the price |
|---|---|---|
| Site survey and network design | Often included in a project quote, or a few hundred to a few thousand dollars on its own | Building size, floors, outdoor areas |
| Access points (each, hardware) | Roughly $200 to $1,500+ | Brand and tier, WiFi 6 vs WiFi 7, indoor vs outdoor |
| New Cat6 cable drop (each, installed) | Roughly $250 to $600+ | Open vs finished ceilings, concrete, distance, fire stopping |
| PoE switching | Roughly $1,000 to $5,000 | Number of ports, power budget, redundancy |
| Firewall / gateway | Roughly $800 to $4,000 | Throughput, security features, licensing |
| Installation and configuration | Varies with scope | Number of access points, after-hours work, captive portal |
Example: A 60-Room Hotel
A 60-room, three-storey limited-service hotel with drywall corridors might need 15 to 20 access points, new cabling to each one, two PoE switches and a firewall. With enterprise access points that often adds up to somewhere in the $20,000 to $55,000 range installed. With a mid-range platform and reusable cabling, the same hotel can come in well below that.
A small historic inn is a different case. Thick stone walls usually mean an access point in or near each room, so the cost per room can be higher even though the total is smaller. Our guide to technology upgrades for small, boutique and historic hotels covers this in more detail.
Ongoing Costs to Budget For
- Internet service sized for a full house, plus an optional backup line.
- Cloud management or support licences for some access point platforms.
- Managed WiFi support for 24/7 monitoring and someone to call, usually a predictable monthly fee.
- Hardware refresh roughly every five to seven years, as access points reach end of support.
Five Ways to Keep the Cost Down Without Cutting Corners
- Test and reuse existing cabling where it reaches the right locations.
- Phase the upgrade, replacing the oldest access points first, as our 64-room Halton Hills hotel is doing.
- Choose the platform that fits the property instead of the most expensive one.
- Do it during a renovation or PIP, when ceilings are already open.
- Get the design right the first time, so you are not paying to add access points after complaints start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does hotel WiFi cost per room in Ontario?
For a new enterprise-grade system with new cabling, many Ontario hotels land somewhere around $350 to $900 per room before taxes. Reusing existing cabling, choosing mid-range hardware or having a simple building pushes it toward the low end; heritage buildings, outdoor areas and large meeting spaces push it higher.
How many access points does a hotel need?
It depends on the building, not just the room count. Concrete, block and stone walls absorb signal, so many properties end up with roughly one access point for every three to five rooms, plus dedicated coverage for the lobby, breakfast area, meeting rooms and pool. A site survey is the only reliable way to know.
Can we reuse our existing cabling?
Often, yes. If the existing Cat5e or Cat6 runs reach the right locations and test clean, reusing them can cut a large part of the cost. We test existing cabling during the site survey before quoting new runs.
Is consumer or mesh WiFi good enough for a small hotel?
Rarely. Consumer and mesh systems are not designed for dozens of guests roaming between rooms, separating guest and payment traffic, or central monitoring. They are cheaper up front but usually cost more in complaints, callouts and early replacement.
What ongoing costs should we budget for?
Plan for your internet service, any cloud management or support licences for the access points, a managed support plan if you want monitoring and help desk, and a hardware refresh roughly every five to seven years.
Get an Accurate Quote for Your Property
The only way to get a real number is to look at your building. AutoSecure provides hotel guest WiFi design and installation across Ontario, including Toronto, Halton, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph. Book a free on-site technology assessment or call 226-476-3358, and we will give you a clear, itemized quote.
Related reading: TP-Link Omada vs Ruckus vs Aruba for hotels.