Is offering guests free Wi-Fi a good idea?

With Wi-Fi popping up in all the areas of hotels and guests increasingly looking for reliable web access, you’ve probably realized you needed to invest quite a significant amount of money in an efficient system. Over time, there may have been a moment when you wondered whether you should start charging guests for Internet access.

But offering free Wi-Fi goes beyond providing guests with access to social media or their emails. Free Wi-Fi remains one of the top web search criteria regarding hotels. Also, Internet access offers many benefits once a guest has chosen to stay at your hotel. Below, we’ve outlined some of the advantages of offering guests free Wi-Fi.

Offering free wi-fi attracts more guests

It sounds simple, and it is! Today, free Wi-Fi is an essential selection criterion for guests looking for a hotel. They will quickly turn to other hotels if yours doesn’t offer Wi-Fi, or if it’s not free. Consider thinking even bigger by adding a wireless real-time media streaming system like Chromecast so that your guests have free Internet access and can watch their favourite shows or movies on the room’s TV via their cell phone or tablet.

As you might expect, business travelers need access to Wi-Fi at all times. Whether they need to complete documents before an important meeting the following morning or stay connected to their office, business travelers who stay at your hotel see high-performance Wi-Fi as indispensable.

By offering free Wi-Fi, you can redirect guests to other hotel services at a premium

Unlimited Internet access will boost sales per room during a guest’s stay and improve data such as your REVPAR. Your guests can visit the mobile version of your website to see the services you offer and access the schedule of hotel activities and services at all times. Using your hotel management system and Wi-Fi network, you can send notifications directly to guests’ mobile devices about current promotions, special galas, the restaurant’s cocktails of the day or services available at your hotel.

Free Wi-Fi can increase your hotel’s efficiency

By providing fast and free access to the information your guests need on your mobile app, you avoid recurring questions and free up your reception staff and lobby. Your guests will avoid wasting precious vacation or business trip time in line at the reception desk or on the phone to get the suggestions or information they need. And this is the jumping off point to achieve customer satisfaction. Wi-Fi can be just as useful for your employees, as they’ll be able to use web-connected applications throughout the day to simplify their tasks. By having a dedicated mobile app accessible through free Wi-Fi for your housekeeping team, you’ll be able to track room status and housekeeping progress in real time.
As a result, your reception team can allocate rooms faster, leading to faster service and higher customer satisfaction.

Offering free wi-fi is a worthwhile investment

Free Wi-Fi is a valuable asset to ensure customer satisfaction and your hotel’s performance. You can build and implement a whole digital marketing strategy around Wi-Fi access. Consider asking guests for information, such as their name and email address, in exchange for Internet access. Then you can set up a remarketing plan with targeted promotional emails to thank people who have stayed at your hotel and encourage them to become loyal guests. You’ll soon see that free Wi-Fi can be an essential tool to increase your guests’ loyalty.

Keep in mind that providing your guests with free, high-performance Wi-Fi makes it easier for them to share their experience on social media through comments, reviews or photos. Quick and easy access to social media will boost your visibility and increase your notoriety. Why not encourage your guests to share their experience with a dedicated hashtag? This type of initiative can generate high-quality content that shines a spotlight of your hotel.

Finally, free Wi-Fi isn’t just an expensive addition to your service offering; it’s an undeniable ally when it comes to providing guests with a unique experience. Not only does it increase customer satisfaction, but it also makes you more efficient. Wi-Fi offers endless possibilities and can be a powerful tool to distinguish your hotel from the competition and help you stay competitive. The Internet isn’t going anywhere, so be sure to leverage it to ensure guest satisfaction and promote your hotel!