Hotel EV charging has shifted from competitive advantage to minimum expectation. Guests driving EVs now filter bookings by charger availability, and leisure travellers specifically plan journeys around hotels with on-site charging. For hoteliers, the question is not whether to install EV chargers, but how many, what power level, and how to operate them.
This guide covers what hotels need to know, drawing on lessons from real UK installations.
The Hotel Use Case
Hotels have one of the most favourable use cases for EV charging.
Overnight dwell times of 10-14 hours mean even 7kW chargers deliver a full charge.
Guests expect to plug in on arrival and unplug on departure, which is a low-friction interaction.
Guests are often willing to pay a small premium for the amenity, or the cost is absorbed into the room rate.
The site has predictable demand: guests arrive in the evening, depart in the morning.
This is the easiest commercial EV use case to get right.
Sizing the Installation
A common mistake is under-sizing. Hotels that install two chargers for a 100-room hotel quickly find themselves with a daily queue and poor reviews.
A reasonable starting point for a UK hotel in 2026 is:
8-12 per cent of parking spaces as EV chargers, which matches the current UK new car EV market share.
At least 10 per cent for hotels marketing to business travellers, who are disproportionately EV drivers.
At least 15 per cent for hotels on popular EV road-trip routes.
For a 100-room hotel with 120 parking spaces, this suggests 10-18 chargers initially, with expansion capacity for the future.
Power Selection
Because dwell times are long, 7kW AC chargers are almost always the right choice for hotels. Benefits:
Lower installation cost per charger.
Simpler grid connection requirements.
Fully charges most EVs overnight.
Supports a higher density of chargers within a given electrical supply.
One or two 22kW chargers can be useful for shorter-stay guests (business meetings, lunch visits, quick turnarounds), but the bulk of chargers should be 7kW.
DC rapid chargers are rarely justified for hotel guests but can make sense for hotel restaurants or bars that attract passing trade.
Location on Site
Charger location affects both guest experience and installation cost.
Near the main entrance: high visibility, guests don’t have to walk far with luggage, but cable runs from the electrical supply may be long.
In the main car park: standard approach, balance of convenience and cost.
In dedicated EV bays: enforces availability but requires signage and policy to deter ICE vehicles from blocking spaces.
For most hotels, a cluster of chargers in a visible part of the main car park is the best compromise.
Electrical Supply Considerations
Most hotels have a three-phase LV electrical supply sized for the existing building load. Adding EV chargers usually requires:
Assessment of spare capacity.
Possible supply upgrade if demand would exceed capacity.
Load management to share capacity between chargers.
On a site with 10 x 7kW chargers, peak demand is 70 kVA if all are simultaneous. In practice, only 40-60 per cent of chargers are active at peak, so real demand is 30-45 kVA. Load management can hold the actual demand below 40 kVA even with all chargers connected.
For larger installations (20+ chargers), an HV connection or significant LV upgrade may be needed, adding cost and programme time.
Guest Payment Options
Hotels use several payment models for EV charging.
Free to stay guests. Simplest model, cost absorbed by the hotel. Works for hotels charging premium room rates.
Free for room rate tiers. Higher room categories get free charging, lower categories pay. Useful for yield management.
Paid per session. Guests pay for charging, either through the hotel bill or directly via a charger app or card.
Flat overnight rate. A fixed fee for overnight charging regardless of kWh used.
Room rate uplift. A small increase on EV-friendly rooms, typically £2 to £5 per night.
The right model depends on the hotel’s positioning and target guest. Premium hotels tend to offer free charging as an amenity. Budget and mid-market hotels more commonly charge per session.
Operational Issues
Three operational issues come up repeatedly.
ICE-ing: non-EV cars parking in EV spaces. Solution: clear signage and enforcement by front desk.
Charger hogging: EVs left plugged in long after they are fully charged, blocking other users. Solution: time-of-use pricing or a maximum stay duration.
Fault handling: chargers occasionally fail. Solution: a monitoring platform with remote diagnostics and a clear escalation path to the maintenance provider.
All three are solvable with policy and a decent back-office platform.
Case Study: Crowne Plaza East Midlands
A recent installation at Crowne Plaza East Midlands delivered 10 x 22kW AC chargers in a single visit, complete with full back-office integration. Key learnings from the project:
Pre-construction planning with the DNO enabled a smooth energisation.
Cable routing was coordinated with existing civils to minimise disruption.
The installation was sized for current demand plus 50 per cent future capacity.
Signage and guest communication was agreed before the chargers went live.
Typical Cost and Programme
For a 10-charger 7kW hotel installation on a site with adequate existing supply:
Equipment: £8,000 to £12,000.
Installation: £12,000 to £25,000.
Software setup: £2,000 to £4,000.
Less: WCS grant (up to £3,500).
Net cost: £18,500 to £37,500.
Programme: 8 to 14 weeks from site assessment to live chargers.
For larger installations or sites requiring supply upgrades, add 3-6 months for DNO works.
The Growth Trajectory
EV ownership in the UK has grown at 20-30 per cent per year for the past five years. A hotel installing 10 per cent EV chargers today is likely to need 20-25 per cent within five years.
Plan for growth:
Install more chargers than you think you need today.
Provide cable ducting to future charger positions.
Specify an electrical supply with headroom for expansion.
Choose CPO software that scales.
The Bottom Line
Hotel EV charging is now a core amenity. The installation is one of the easier commercial and workplace EV projects to deliver well, because the use case is favourable and the operational model is well-understood. The mistakes to avoid are under-sizing, choosing DC rapid when AC is sufficient, and failing to plan for growth. Done well, hotel EV charging is a low-friction, high-satisfaction investment that pays back through improved booking conversion and higher room rates.