Why decent guest WiFi is a necessity

As a hotelier, you've probably noticed that what hotel guests expect when traveling away from home has changed considerably over recent years. Whereas an en suite bathroom, for example, was once considered a luxurious ‘extra’, most hotels now provide this facility as standard. By the same token, Wi-Fi is now an expected feature of a hotel stay and most guests would be surprised (and more than a little annoyed) if an efficient guest Wi-Fi service was not provided.

When traveling away from home on holiday, being able to keep in touch with family, friends and work is very important to guests; if a guest is away on business then it is even more crucial that they are able to contact their colleagues and access their work online. Internet access is now widely considered a ‘basic need’.

You probably know from your own experience how frustrating it can be to find yourself in an internet blackspot, unable to download a file, search online for a phone number, or just check your favorite social media. For guests who may find it difficult to get online with 3G or 4G in the area around your hotel, being able to access the internet through a wireless network at your hotel is even more important.

If you advertise that you have a guest Wi-Fi service, you need to make sure that it is reliable and sufficiently fast to cope with multiple users. A guest who is delighted at first to book a room that has a wireless network available will soon become angry and frustrated if that service proves to be intermittent or agonisingly slow.

Depending on the price of the rooms, the other facilities you provide and the nature of your business, you may find that guests are content to access Wi-Fi only in common areas such as your bar or reception area, or they may demand Wi-Fi in the privacy of their own rooms. The former may be cheaper, but if it results in fewer guest returns or lower review ratings, then this is a false economy.

Hotels that do not provide what their guests expect them to provide may well receive complaints from their guests and have to offer concessions or inducements for their customers to return or to leave favorable feedback. A hotel that has unhappy guests will experience a drop in repeat business. At best, customers simply don’t come back, preferring to book a hotel that provides all of the facilities that they consider should be included in the price they pay. At worst, they make their frustrations known by providing negative reviews and feedback online, which other guests will heed.

Providing a guest Wi-Fi service will help to ensure that your guests are comfortable, have their needs met and will improve your chances of receiving repeat business and positive reviews for your business.