It has become the litmus test of the hospitality industry—Wi-Fi services rank near the top of the list when it comes to amenities that travelers want. In fact, business travelers say having hotel Wi-Fi is almost as important as a comfortable bed, according to the iPass (News - Alert) Mobile Workforce Report.
But finding a high-quality, fast and secure Wi-Fi connection isn’t easy, particularly for road warriors trying to get things done away from the office.
“Access to Wi-Fi is now a make-or-break criterion by which travelers choose a hotel, and this is creating a challenging situation for the hotel industry,” explained Marcio Avillez, vice president, network services, iPass in an article for HotelExecutive.com. “Guests demand Wi-Fi access at hotel properties, yet don’t want to pay for it—they feel it is a requirement for the hotel operator to provide, just like electricity and water.”
So which hotels are meeting travelers’ growing demand for high-quality Wi-Fi service? A new report from Hotel Wi-Fi Test ranks both the top 100 hotels and the top 100 hotel chains. Surveying Wi-Fi quality and speed, the company compiled two lists that help travelers find places to stay where the Wi-Fi service is above average.
Topping the list of hotel chains, Andaz Hotels by Hyatt ranked first, with Le Meridien and Radisson Blue following in second and third place, respectively.
On the list of hotels, the Emblem Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic, lead the pack, helped by test results that included free Wi-Fi with speeds of 100 Mbps—thanks to fiber-optic cables installed on each floor. The second and third best Wi-Fi services in hotels were found stateside: TradeWinds Island Grand in St. Pete Beach, Fla., and the DoubleTree by Hilton in Chicago, Ill.
The rankings are based on data collected during the first four months of the Hotel Wi-Fi Test service, which ran from October 10, 2013 to February 10, 2014. The complete ranking and methodology overview can be found on the Hotel Wi-Fi Test website.
Edited by Cassandra Tucker