Why e-ink and why wood
Screens in hotel lobbies look like screens in airports. They glow, reflect, need power and a computer, and they show advertising because someone has to fill the surface. In a house with wooden floors and quiet colours, that jars.
E-ink is the technology of e-readers: a matt surface that only needs power when the content changes and looks like printed paper in daylight. Add a frame of oak, walnut or the wood of your house, built by a carpenter in Styria. The result hangs on the wall like a board in an old inn and still shows what applies today.
What is on the board
Today
date, weather with warnings, temperature in the morning and the afternoon.
Mountain and valley
open lifts, cross-country trails or bathing spots, from the sources you choose.
In town
events of the day, market days, concerts, from a list you maintain or that we take over for you from public calendars.
In the house
breakfast times, sauna, evening menu, notes for the day.
Wi-Fi and QR
access and the code to the digital guest hub, where everything else is.
Your line
one sentence from the host that can be different every day.
The content comes from the same knowledge base as the hub and the AI concierge. Whatever you change there appears on the board after a few minutes.
The technology, briefly
Inside the frame sits a small computer that loads a new image from your editing system every fifteen minutes and writes it to the e-ink surface. It needs a power socket and Wi-Fi, nothing else. If the Wi-Fi fails, the last state stays visible, with the time. There is no camera, no microphone and no touch, so no fingerprints and nothing guests have to operate.
The hotel case: entrance and breakfast room
| Item | Example value |
|---|---|
| Boards | 2 |
| Questions about weather, lifts and events at the front desk per day | 8 |
| Of those, answered by the board in future | 5 |
| Minutes per question | 2 |
| Front desk time per year | about 60 hours |
| Power use of the board per year | in the range of an LED lamp |
Example values. The reason for the board is rarely the time saved but the impression on the way out.
The holiday rental case: the notice board
In complexes with six to twenty apartments there is usually a board in the entrance with slips of paper: waste collection, baker, emergency number, a flyer from 2019. The board shows the same, only up to date, and you change it from your phone.
What you need
A wall with a power socket in sight, Wi-Fi at that spot, and a decision on wood and size. The content comes from the guest hub; without a hub you maintain a short list in the editing system.
When it is not worth it
- If your house has no shared entrance or breakfast room that guests pass.
- If you want a screen with video content anyway; e-ink is not made for that.
Prices
13-inch board
with oak or walnut frame, computer, assembly in Styria: from 1,990 euros, one-off.
Larger surfaces
on request, depending on the e-ink modules available.
Operation
29 euros per month for content, updates and monitoring, on top of the operations contract.
Process
Decide wood, size and place; photos of the wall are enough.
The carpenter builds the frame, we fit the computer and display.
Set up content and sources, trial run with us.
Installation or shipping with instructions, launch.
Frequently asked questions
Does the board show colours?
Depending on the module, greyscale or a few colours. The design is made for legibility, like a printed daily menu, not like a screen.
Who builds the frame?
A carpentry workshop in Styria, in the wood you choose. If you prefer, we work with your own carpenter and supply the dimensions.
What happens if something breaks?
The computer is replaced, as is the e-ink surface; the frame stays. We can see remotely whether the board is loading its content and get in touch before a guest notices.
Can the board hang outdoors?
Not in this version. For covered entrances there are modules with protective glass, which we check on request.
Do we need the guest hub as well?
No, but it is the simplest route because the content is then maintained only once. Without a hub you maintain a short list in the editing system.