EVBox: the latest guest amenity at Orangewood Inn

Source: evbox.com/us-en/about/success-stories/orangewood-inn

Just like Wi-Fi and the morning paper, EVBox is helping this Austin hotel add a new amenity for the growing population of EV drivers.

How Orangewood Inn is bringing premier EV charging to Austin

As a thriving, independent hospitality business in the heart of Austin’s burgeoning IT mecca, Orangewood Inn & Suites saw an opportunity to attract the growing population of tech-savvy guests by offering a key differentiator from other hotels in the area—an EVBox charging station

“Electric vehicles are the future of the auto industry. Everybody’s moving towards it. And it’s better to stay ahead of the game than to chase it.”

Amit Desai, Owner, Orangewood Inn & Suites.

An EV driver himself, Orangewood owner Amit Desai understood first-hand the importance of publicly available EV charging. “If we’re driving to Dallas, instead of going to another restaurant, we go to a restaurant that has an EV charger. So putting [Orangewood Inn & Suites] on the map of EV charging stations will help us draw some good business to our location.”

According to Amit, EV charging is more than a “nice-to-have” for hotel owners—it’s a necessity. “Like how the internet is a required amenity these days. It’s going to be expected and to not have [EV charging] will put your hotel at a disadvantage.”

From idea to installation: the Orangewood EV charging journey

To help him realize this plan, Amit turned to a local EV charging expert, Richard Osuch at My EV Charger, who guided him through the entire process—from selecting the right hardware and software to site design and installation. “It was a turnkey solution. Once I signed up with [My EV Charger] everything was done by him.”

In February of 2021, Orangewood installed their first EV charging station—an EVBox Iqon. The decision to install Iqon boiled down to three key areas.

• Aesthetics: Iqon’s award-winning design provides a sleek and professional look and feel that gives locations a premium EV charging experience.
• Functionality: Iqon’s multilanguage touchscreen and built-in cable retractors make it easy for any driver to use (ADA-compliant) while keeping the location looking neat.
• Simplicity: Installing Iqon is very intuitive and Bluetooth commissioning makes for fool-proof station activation.

“I’d recommend EVBox Iqon to other businesses because it’s the best of the best, very simple. It’s a cost-effective, quality product. The modern look and feel of the equipment creates the feelings and emotions that you want to elicit when you offer your guests EV charging.”

Richard Osuch, CEO, My EV Charger.

How EV charging can enhance your hospitality offering

For Amit, installing EV charging was a “no-brainer.” A networked charging station, like the EVBox Iqon, literally puts a hotel on the map. This offers much greater visibility to a rapidly expanding population of drivers. What’s more, having on-property EV charging can improve a hotel’s star rating, improve occupancy, and help properties qualify for sustainability certifications like LEED.

This is also confirmed by Richard Osuch, CEO, My EV Charger: “Let’s say you’re a two star hotel. Will this premium amenity increase your leverage to a three star? If you’re a four star, will it increase it to a five star? What is the percentage of new guests that you can attract? Can you increase your guest list by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 more rooms per month? Per week? We could provide you with that amenity. I’m not saying it’s a guarantee, but in my experience, you will see a difference.”

What’s next for Orangewood Hotels?

Located on Highway 35 in Austin, TX, Orangewood Inn & Suites first opened its doors as an independent hotel back in 2013. This shift to becoming an autonomous entity enabled them to place greater focus on the needs of their specific location by reinvesting what used to be their franchise fees back into the property.

Now looking ahead, Amit has plans of soon opening multiple new Orangewood Inn locations. “My goal is to eventually have Orangewood Inns like McDonald’s at every exit.” In fact, Amit is already in the process of acquiring a hotel property in Arkansas, with two or three additional locations expected in the not too distant future. “And right along with the capital improvements that are needed at these properties, my first goal would be to add an EV charging station at each and every property I acquire.”

As for what kind of stations you’ll find at these new Orangewood locations, Richard explained why EVBox would be his preferred choice:

“EVBox looks beyond today and into the future with their equipment… I would define [EVBox Iqon] as future-proof… You’re getting a premium product with a strong name behind it, and the performance and warranties to back it up.”

Richard Osuch, CEO, My EV Charger

*This success story and all its contents were developed from an interview conducted by EVBox with Amit Desai (Orangewood Inn & Suites) and Richard Osuch (My EV Charger). All information given is based on the professional experiences and opinions of those interviewed.

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