After carefully preparing for a future trip by thoroughlyresearching available cheaptravel options including cheap airplane tickets, cheapdeals, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, itis more than a little irritating to discover that you are unable to streamvideo once arriving at a hotel at your destination.
The good news is that hotels are finally responding toguests requests for improved Wi-Fi. Inaddition to increasingly offering free Wi-Fi, particularly to loyalty clubmembers, hotel companies are requiring that their properties improve thequality of the signal they offer. Thisinitiative is in response to guests increasingly using multiple devices tostream, download and upload larger files.
The following are examples of steps hotel chains have takenrecently to improve the quality of their Wi-Fi:
- IHG expanded its IHG Connect program to 1,500 hotels in the Americas by the end of 2016. The program increases bandwidth and uses cloud-based Wi-Fi technology. There is an auto recognition feature for IHG Rewards members. Guests just have to sign in once to access hotel Wi-Fi at all IHG Connect-enabled hotels and will automatically be connected during future visits.
- Each year, Marriott International sets annual standards after a review of hotel Internet usage and industry trends. Minimum bandwidth standards are based on the sizes and locations of hotels. For instance, the largest hotels in the Americas, with rooms of 1,500 or more, have a minimum of 600 megabytes per second (mbps). A 500 to 999 room hotel, where most full-service properties fall, would have a minimum of 300 mbps. That can also fluctuate in cities depending on demand and customer mix.
- Guests at two of Wyndhams midscale and economy brands will see improved Wi-Fi service by next summer. Wingate by Wyndham is offering free expanded premium Wi-Fi to all its guests, requiring hotels to have at least 100 mbps of free bandwidth by years end. Effective June 1, 2017, Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham is requiring hotels to offer 50 mbps of free bandwidth.
- At nearly 200 Hyatt hotels, the Wi-Fi remembers a guests device, so the guest is only required to sign in one time across all the properties. Hyatt expects to roll that out across all hotels in 2017. Nearly 90% of Hyatt Hotels have made additional investments in Wi-Fi in the past three years. Higher bandwidth has been required recently.
- Choice Hotels is raising hotel requirements for Wi-Fi speed and bandwidth. These higher performing Wi-Fi requirements must be put in place by March 1, 2017.
ChoiceHotels views superior Wi-Fi the same as hot water and bedding. It is a necessity and as guests Wi-Fi needsevolve with new technology, Choice Hotels intends to do what is necessary tomeet those needs.
IHGdecided to make changes after an internal survey this fall showed that 71percent of 1,113 respondents encountered issues such as slow or interruptedservice or difficulty logging in to public Wi-Fi networks in places likehotels, airports, and restaurants. 85percent said that they believe public Wi-Fi networks should be built to supportmultiple devices and streaming.
IHGis determined to win the Internet game for all its guests. It believes that its guests want to always beconnected, or need to be, or want to be.
Costseems to be a limiting factor for some hotels to adequately improve their Wi-Fiservice. Upgrade costs tend to besignificant. The good news is that hotelchains are increasingly viewing quality Wi-Fi as critical in satisfying guestexpectations.
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