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Keeping connected: The importance of free Wi-Fi access in hotels

Clearly, free to access Wi-Fi connections are a must have for hotels looking to remain competitive in their industry; the positive effect they can have on customer satisfaction is difficult to deny, while the downsides are almost non-existent.

For many people, free Wi-Fi access is increasingly becoming an important aspect of their hotel experience. However, the number of devices in consumer hands which benefit from Wi-Fi capability is growing by the day. In fact, the number of smartphones owned worldwide is projected to be over 2 billion by 2016, equating to almost a third of the earth’s population.  

Coupled with the number of workers now well-used to maintaining productivity outside of the office, as well as the number of consumers used to unfettered access to their personal online world; the importance of fast, easy, and free to access Wi-Fi hotspots is suddenly made incredibly clear.

Wi-Fi support in the hospitality industry leaves much to be desired
Despite the clear need for such functionality, it’s amazing how many hospitality businesses fumble when implementing Wi-Fi functionality. Hotel chain Marriott International was recently heavily penalised by the FCC for blocking access to the private Wi-Fi hotspots of their guests, in an attempt to force said guests to pay exorbitant fees to access Marriott’s own.

This kind of activity sends a terrible message to consumers, and essentially destroys any goodwill that a brand may have built up with the public. As a business in an industry as competitive as the hospitality business, such actions can be ill-afforded, even by brands with plenty of name recognition.

Many businesses still stand to gain from the use of free Wi-Fi
A survey undertaken by hotels.com found that free Wi-Fi was the 3rd most important amenity for a hotel property to have, behind complimentary breakfasts and a restaurant, as well as the most important in-room amenity, according to the hotel-goers questioned. This makes it incredibly strange that big-name brands like Marriot, and even the Walfdorf-Astoria in New York, are still charging exorbitant fees for access to a facility that (often cheaper) competitors are offering for free. If they can get better service elsewhere, the public will stop patronising your business.

The downsides of public Wi-Fi connections
Of course, there are risks attached to the use of any public network, especially those that are free of charge. It’s entirely possible for malicious third parties to fraudulently duplicate a public Wi-Fi connection, fooling consumers into connecting to another network entirely, one which may instead leave their essential private data available for easy access and ready use.  At the same time, taking simple precautions, such as double checking the name of the network with employees, is often more than enough to counteract any downside to free networks.

The benefits of well-implemented public Wi-Fi
When considering the potential benefits to be gained from their use, it’s even more puzzling that free Wi-Fi networks aren’t used in every hotel chain. A case study recently performed by public Wi-Fi provider The Cloud found that the fortunes of hospitality chain Macdonald Hotels & Resorts were noticeably helped by Wi-Fi hotspot installations across their venues. Installed in October 2013, the 12 months post-installation saw 92,932 mobile devices connect to the network, with a cumulative 487 million minutes being spent online. Clearly such a facility is popular with consumers; between April and September last year alone, devices accessing Macdonald’s network increased by 37%!

Customer loyalty is undoubtedly boosted by the installation of such amenities; as explained by Stuart Garrick, IT Director of Macdonald Hotels: “We knew it would be a popular service but speaking to our guests, it’s clear that it has truly added to the experience of staying at, or simply visiting, our venues… The ability to get online is now often as important to our guests as getting a good night’s sleep.“

Conclusions
Clearly, free to access Wi-Fi connections are a must have for hotels looking to remain competitive in their industry; the positive effect they can have on customer satisfaction is difficult to deny, while the downsides are almost non-existent.

Nick Bush has been writing since he could hold a pen, and has been working in marketing since graduating from the University of Portsmouth. He has a wide range of marketing experience, across a diverse array of fields; from social media, to technology, to hospitality. He currently resides in his adoptive city of Portsmouth, in the UK.

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