China's hotel industry has entered a stock era. Over the next three years, 732,000 rooms older than 15 years will enter a concentrated renovation cycle , with the market size already exceeding 100 billion yuan . Since 2026, the number of renovation contracts signed has already surpassed the total number for the entire previous year, and "renovation" and "rebranding" are becoming accompanying actions in the upgrading of China's hotel stock .
The core challenge of renovating existing hotels lies in the need to upgrade guest rooms with smart technology while maintaining operations and minimizing disruption to guests. This places demands on the construction costs and deployment flexibility of communication technologies far exceeding those of new projects.
The smart hotel market is currently experiencing a period of structural expansion. Market research firms predict that the global smart hotel market will grow to US$90.46 billion by 2032 , representing a compound annual growth rate of 14.20% . The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing area, driven by high smartphone penetration, urban tourism expansion, and large-scale hotel modernization .
In terms of connectivity technology, PLCs are transforming from a "supplement to wireless solutions" to a "connection base for hotel guest room control ." This judgment is based not only on Lihe Micro's implementation data but also on changes in the competitive landscape: Honeywell's INNCOM FLEX intelligent hotel guest room control system, released in September 2026, explicitly supports "wired and wireless dual deployment solutions" and is compatible with mainstream building protocols such as BACnet IP and Modbus TCP, reflecting the leading building automation manufacturers' recognition of the "multi-protocol compatibility and open deployment" approach .
Traditional hotel guest room control systems face a structural dilemma.
Wired solutions (RS-485 bus, TCP/IP Ethernet) offer stable and reliable communication with strong anti-interference capabilities and no data packet loss issues, but require the laying of dedicated communication cables. In existing renovation scenarios, this means trenching, ceiling removal, and wall repair, resulting in long construction periods and often requiring closure or phased construction, significantly impacting hotel operations . This type of solution is more suitable for new construction or complete renovation of high-end hotels .
Wireless solutions (Bluetooth Mesh, Zigbee, Wi-Fi) offer flexible deployment options, requiring only the laying of power lines, making them cost-effective and easy to install in converted hotels . However, wireless signals face challenges in complex hotel structures, such as wall attenuation, metal cabinet obstruction, and co-channel interference, resulting in weaker communication stability compared to wired methods. Furthermore, the location of the equipment significantly impacts signal quality .
No single technological approach can simultaneously meet the dual requirements of "uninterrupted transformation" and "highly reliable communication." What the industry needs is a third path.
The core logic of PLC (Power Line Carrier Communication) differs fundamentally from traditional solutions. Wireless solutions rely on electromagnetic wave propagation, and signals experience significant attenuation when passing through load-bearing concrete walls and metal structures. In contrast, PLC uses the building's existing 220V/380V power lines as the data transmission medium. Signals travel along the power lines and are unaffected by physical obstructions from walls, floors, or metal structures—as long as the circuit is powered, the communication link remains stable .
Real-world test data supports these technical characteristics: PLC-IoT end-to-end response latency is consistently below 50 milliseconds , and the communication success rate is nominally as high as 99.99% ; a single host can support 128–384 device nodes; academic research confirms that PLC-IoT has comprehensive advantages over ZigBee and KNX technologies in terms of stability, cost-effectiveness, and anti-interference capabilities .
For hotel renovation projects, the most valuable feature of PLCs is that they eliminate the need for wiring.
V. Open ecosystems are replacing closed solutions
The accelerated adoption of PLC technology in the hotel industry also benefits from the industry's reflection on "closed-loop guest room control solutions".
Currently, most hotel smart guest room control projects adopt closed-loop solutions, with hotel systems, equipment, and platforms highly dependent on a single supplier. If a vendor experiences operational or technical issues, the entire guest room control system may be paralyzed. Furthermore, incompatible communication protocols between gateway devices from different brands prevent interoperability and hinder system expansion, resulting in persistently high costs for subsequent hotel upgrades, maintenance, and iterations .
Based on a unified protocol standard, the PLCP ecosystem brings together products such as switch panels, light drivers, curtain motors, and temperature control panels from numerous equipment manufacturers. Hotels can flexibly select from multiple brands and categories, eliminating the supply chain risks of "one vendor monopolizing" products.
This trend offers a clear message for module manufacturers: hotel customers are no longer simply buying "a gateway + a set of equipment," but are looking for "a standard + an ecosystem." As the underlying communication layer, modules need to be compatible with mainstream protocol stacks.
Shenzhen Ofeixin Technology Co., Ltd. has developed two core module products for hotel scenarios in the PLC field.
The 3121N-H (based on the HiSilicon Hi3121S) is based on a subset of the IEEE 1901.1 standard. A single CCO supports up to 200 STA nodes , dynamic routing, and automatic multi-path addressing. A typical 200-node, two-tier network can be set up within 10 seconds . The module size is 23.5×30mm, integrating built-in line drivers and onboard coupling circuitry, and providing interfaces such as UART, PWM, GPIO, I2C, and ADC. Qogrisys has also designed an integrated PLC + power supply kit with a built-in conversion transformer for direct connection to 220V bidirectional AC power, facilitating rapid product adoption by customer control solution providers .
The S130N-ISI (based on the Leadcore VC6330) uses an LCC package, measuring only 20.6×12.6mm , making its ultra-miniaturized design suitable for space-constrained hotel panel devices. It integrates a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 MCU and a 32-bit DSP dual-core processor, supporting both China SGCC Q/GDW 11612 and IEEE 1901.1 protocols . The Leadcore VC6330 chip achieves an application-layer communication rate of up to 1Mbps, with a 99.99% communication success rate in actual projects and a Level 1 network communication latency of <30ms .
The technical positioning of the two modules corresponds to two types of needs in hotel guest room control scenarios: the 3121N-H is suitable for centralized control scenarios with a large number of gateways and nodes, while the S130N-ISI's ultra-small size is suitable for embedded terminal devices with limited space, such as switch panels and thermostats.
VII. From PLC Modules to Whole-House Smart Solutions
While modules address the fundamental issue of establishing communication, hotel clients require a complete, ready-to-deploy, and operational solution. The collaboration between Ofeixin and Siqi Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. follows precisely this trajectory.
Siqi Technology is the whole-house smart solution provider within the Ofeixin ecosystem, specializing in the R&D of technologies and products that integrate PLC (Power Line Communication) with wireless communication. Its core strength lies in leveraging Ofeixin’s PLC modules to build a comprehensive matrix of terminal products and software platforms, effectively transforming "communication capabilities" into "deliverable smart spaces."
In terms of products, Siqi Technology has developed a full-category lineup covering smart gateways, central control panels, smart lighting, smart electrical switches, smart climate control, smart curtains, smart sensors, and smart appliances. Its "Galaxy" series central control panel integrates rotary knobs and push-buttons into a single unit, supporting multi-dimensional control of volume, temperature, brightness, and curtain operation; the decorative faceplates can be customized with materials such as solid wood or leather, balancing functionality with interior aesthetics.
On the software front, the Siqi Smart App offers features such as device management, scene configuration, family sharing, and real-time alerts, allowing users to define personalized smart scenes based on their habits and enabling seamless interconnection between smart devices.
For Ofeixin, this "module-plus-solution" collaborative structure means that hotel clients no longer need to coordinate separately with module suppliers and solution integrators; instead, they receive a complete delivery package spanning everything from the underlying communication layer to end-user applications. For guest room control solution providers, this translates to shorter development cycles and reduced system integration risks; for hotel owners, it ensures a smart system with a single source of supply and clear accountability.
More importantly, the reach of these whole-house smart solutions extends beyond hotel guest rooms. Siqi Technology’s product logic is naturally suited for residential apartments, office spaces, and commercial lighting applications. When the same PLC communication foundation and terminal product matrix can span multiple vertical sectors, the demand for modules is no longer merely linear—it experiences exponential growth driven by the sheer number of application scenarios.
For Ofeixin, the value of PLC modules lies not in replacing Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but in offering a communication option—unmatched by other technologies—for retrofitting existing properties. In hotel guest rooms, devices such as lighting, curtains, air conditioning units, and control panels are already connected to the power grid; leveraging this existing infrastructure to transmit control signals makes PLC the most natural choice from an engineering perspective.
Siqi Technology’s whole-home smart solution takes this "natural engineering choice" a step further: it allows hotel clients and end-users to enjoy a ready-to-use smart space without needing to understand the underlying PLC technology. The module is the starting point, and the solution is the destination; the synergy between the two defines Ofeixin’s comprehensive position in the smart hotel sector.
"Wherever there is electricity, there is the potential for PLC connectivity"—in the context of smart hotel retrofitting, this statement is transforming from a technical description into a commercial reality.
