Wi-Fi is a basic expectation of many travellers. It’s common for people surfing accommodation possibilities online to simply eliminate properties that don’t offer free Wi-Fi.

So what are they expecting and how can you offer it?

First, they really are expecting Wi-Fi. It’s not an extra anymore, it’s a basic. In a 2013 Study, Forrester Research found that a remarkable 94% of guests said that above anything else, they wanted “quality Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and in their rooms” when it came to amenities offered.

They want the access points in their rooms, not hallways, since your guests are in their rooms. You may have installed access points in your hallways way back when. It’s a good idea to move them.

And it’s smart business to spend the money for the same quality Wi-Fi that your guests really want, and will come back for. Remember, the reason you’re offering Wi-Fi in the first place is to increase your bottom line by getting more guests and more return bookings. Is your Wi-Fi helping accomplish that?

What Guests Want

“Guests want fast, reliable and secure wireless access more than any other amenity available,” writes Secure Edge Networks. “You should look at wireless as a utility, just as you do with electricity and water. How happy would your guests be if you didn't offer water or at best it didn't work very well?”

Word of advice

You do not get more capacity simply by installing more access points. Whoever’s selling you access points does get more money, though. But you don’t want too few, either. A consultation with an experienced network engineer, not a vendor, is a good idea when designing your system.

And please don’t install captive portals, where the guests have to read something, click, offer personal information, etc. before getting access. That practice is fortunately dying off - Disney, La Quinta and other huge accommodation chains have dropped them altogether.

Let the guest log on with just a password and, when they return, it automatically works. They will appreciate that. And that’s your Wi-Fi helping ensure they do return.