Hotels, resorts and tourist sites increasingly add charge points because guests with an electric car expect them. Strategy matters more than the number of sockets: who can use them, how they are priced, and what keeps them working. This article separates what the regulation requires from what is a business choice.
What AFIR does and does not ask of a hotel
AFIR sets deployment targets for Member States along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). It does not set an obligation for hotels or tourist venues as such. Its operator obligations apply to publicly accessible charge points, and whether a point reserved for guests qualifies is a question to settle with your legal adviser.
If your points are public, these rules apply:
Free points are outside the payment rule and the dynamic data rule. A hotel offering free charging to guests is therefore in a different position from one selling electricity to passers-by.
What building rules add
The EPBD acts on the building. For new or majorly renovated non-residential buildings with more than five parking spaces, article 14 requires at least one charge point for every five spaces and pre-cabling for at least half of them. Existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 spaces must reach one charge point for every ten spaces, or ducting for at least half of the spaces, by 1 January 2027. Check how your country transposed it, and whether your property is classed as non-residential.
Three choices that shape the business case
Free or paid. Free charging is a guest service and keeps you out of the payment rules. Paid charging brings revenue and obliges you to display prices clearly. The occupancy fee is the lever for overstay: it lets you charge for time on the bay once the car is full.
Power and load. Pre-cabling is built for simultaneous use, and a load management system is expected in non-residential buildings where feasible. Sharing the site capacity between chargers in real time avoids oversizing the connection. Smart charging is defined in AFIR as adjusting current in real time from information received electronically.
Protocol. AFIR does not name OCPP. In practice you still need a protocol between charger and software. OCPP 1.6 and 2.0.1 are not compatible, and OCPP 2.1 extends 2.0.1: logic written for 2.0.1 keeps working. If your chargers come from several suppliers, ask which version each speaks before choosing your management software.
Operating it day to day
A charger that fails during a guest's stay costs more than the repair. AFIR sets no availability threshold, but it requires operators to publish operational status and availability as open data, so a broken point becomes visible. Remote monitoring lets you see a fault before the guest does, and restart or diagnose what can be fixed remotely. This avoids some of the site visits.
Ask also how the charging data connects to the rest of your systems, such as reservations or billing, so that guest sessions are identified and invoiced correctly.
What to do this week
GFO Omni is a CSMS (OCPP 1.6 / 2.0.1 / 2.1) that supervises charge points, including mixed fleets.