A large number of hotels want to offer free Wi-Fi to their customers but can’t because they don’t own the property, a new report claims.
According to jaunted.com, HotelChatter’s tenth annual Wi-Fi report covers all the latest information regarding internet in hotels. Although many travellers expect hotel Wi-Fi to now be free, many places don’t offer this service. Some don’t because they want to make as much money as possible, but others simply can’t.
One example given by hotelchatter.com are the DoubleTree by Hilton hotels, which offer free Wi-Fi in the lobby and other public spaces but not in people’s bedrooms. John Greenleaf, global head of DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels, says this is because that’s what the building owners have decided upon.
“It’s something we’re always looking at doing, to try and meet both the guests’ and the owners’ needs,” he explains.
However, despite the fact many hotels seem to be held back from offering the service for free, the majority do. At least 64 per cent of hotels have free Wi-Fi, with places catering towards business travellers the most likely to provide it.
The report also shows that the cost and quality of the hotel’s Wi-Fi are having a big impact on travellers booking decisions. Booking app HotelTonight says it is unlikely to list a hotel which has received bad reviews regarding its Wi-Fi provision.
CEO and founder of HotelTonight, Sam Shank, comments: “We curate our hotels based on guest experience. And slow Wi-Fi is considered an amenity that doesn’t work.”
