Hotel telephones have to withstand abuse from guests and staff alike, so in-room phones not only have to be attractive and functional, they also have to be rugged. Luckily, telephones designed for the hospitality market are built to withstand a lot of punishment.

"The telephones you can get at a regular retail outlet just do not stand up to the rigors of a hotel room," said William Hazelton, marketing and communications manager at TeleMatrix. "Guests are not going to treat them with the kindness they show for their own phones at home."

Hoteliers should look for phones made of heavy, durable plastics with slip-resistant rubber feet to prevent tumbles off the desk or nightstand. Durable electronic components also help the telephone survive the wear and tear of the hospitality environment.

"We've hardened our phones by making the external case out of a high-impact, industrial plastic," said Dean Compoginis, v.p. of marketing at Teledex. "We drop-test the phone from 6 to 8 feet onto concrete, and they don't break open."

Phones can last from five to 10 years or longer depending on the property and the environment. Most hotels, though, typically replace their phones during remodeling.

Many hotels are turning to cordless phones, which offer convenience for guests and are designed to the same rugged specifications of their corded cousins. Improved battery technology has increased the lifespan of cordless phones greatly.

When a hotel is ready to replace or upgrade its telephones, the old units must be disposed of responsibly. While most manufacturers have begun to remove harmful substances like lead from their products, tossing old phones in the dumpster is still inadvisable and possibly illegal in some jurisdictions.

"As with any other electronic product, you have to dispose of them properly," said Doug Zagha, president of Inn-Phone.

In some cases, installers or distributors will take the old equipment. Some hotels also donate the old phones to charity, sell them to another property or even list them on eBay.

VOIP still waiting in the wings

TeleMatrix

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone technology, which provides voice and data service over a single network, along with multi-media functionality, has been touted as "the next big thing" in hospitality phone systems for several years. But the cost of deploying VOIP phones still is high.

"Everyone wants VOIP, but most people don't really understand what it means," said Doug Zagha, president of Inn-Phone, adding that it will be four to five years before the technology is common in guestrooms.

"Interest continues to grow, but not that quickly," Dean Compoginis, VP of marketing at Teledex, said. "We're seeing it more with new builds because of the cost savings."

Several vendors are helping customers make the transition. Teledex offers a hybrid phone that can transition to VOIP over time, while Inn-Phone is in the process of developing more affordable VOIP technology.

Cleaning tips

Telephones, like any other feature of a hotel room, need to be cleaned regularly to prevent the build-up of fingerprints and other residue—and no guest wants to put a dirty phone next to his or her face. Many properties, however, take the wrong approach to cleaning their telephones.

Tech Talk

Chemical cleaners often contain solvents that can break down the type of plastic used in the typical phone and can damage the electronics when it seeps through the openings in the unit. Most manufacturers recommend regularly wiping down the phones with a damp cloth.

"You shouldn't need to do anything beyond that," Doug Zagha, president of Inn-Phone, said. "We sometimes get damaged phones back, and the customer will swear they just used water. When we open the phone up, often it's filled with green or blue gunk. The cleaner has literally filled up the phone."