For hotels, EV charging has moved from novelty to expectation. Drivers planning a trip increasingly filter accommodation by charging availability, and a guest who cannot charge overnight may not book again. The good news is that hotels are one of the easiest places to charge: guests park for hours, so modest AC chargers are usually enough.
AC or DC for a Hotel?
Overnight guests park for 8 to 12 hours, which suits AC charging at 7 to 22 kW. A single 11 kW charger can add a full day’s driving range overnight for most cars. DC fast charging makes sense mainly for hotels on major highways that attract short stops, restaurants or conference traffic.
How Many Chargers?
Start with demand you can observe: how many guests already ask about charging, and how many EVs are in the car park on a busy night. A practical approach is to install a small first phase, for example two to four connectors, and prepare cabling and electrical capacity for more. Load management lets the chargers share the building’s existing supply as usage grows.
Billing: Free, Bundled or Paid?
- Free: simplest and a strong marketing message, suitable for low usage.
- Bundled: included in a room package or loyalty tier.
- Paid via RFID or app: recovers electricity cost; requires OCPP-connected chargers and a management platform.
Whichever model you choose, clear signage and a simple way to reserve or request a charger improve the guest experience.
Practical Siting Tips
- Place chargers near the entrance or in well-lit, covered bays.
- Keep cables short enough to avoid trip hazards across walkways.
- Plan at least one accessible bay with a charger.
- In hot or rainy climates, choose IP65 or IP66 hardware and consider canopies.
- Allow space for future chargers and cable routes.
Equipment for Hotel Projects
Hotels typically use Type 2 wallboxes or dual-gun AC stations in IEC markets and J1772 or NACS Level 2 stations in North America. EVDANCE supplies 22 kW wallboxes and the 43 kW dual-gun EV-AC03201T with OCPP 1.6J, RFID and app authorization. See our hotel EV charging solutions and country pages such as Greece and Austria, where hospitality is a key market.
Related Reading
- RFID and User Management for Shared EV Chargers
- How to Plan a Workplace EV Charging Program
- EV Charging News: Kenya Updates EV Charging Tariff Rules
Key Takeaways
- Overnight guests need AC charging at 7 to 22 kW, not DC fast charging.
- Start with a small first phase and prepare capacity and cabling for growth.
- Choose a billing model, then pick hardware that supports it, such as OCPP for paid charging.
- Site chargers in well-lit, accessible, weather-protected bays.
Sources & Standards
- IEC 61851-1 — Electric vehicle conductive charging system
- EVDANCE — Hotel EV charging solutions
