The Ruckus Network challenge has made me somewhat of an expert when it comes to hunting down WiFi hotspots. When I look back over the past two weeks of this challenge, I notice that two types of locations are the most reliable and consistent: restaurants and hotels.
This is no coincidence. I spoke to Elaine Naidoo, IT service manager at Tsogo Sun, the group that owns many hotel properties, who confirms that the entire hotel chain currently provides its guests with WiFi using AlwaysOn as its service provider. Naidoo also hinted that it is currently in the process of upgrading its back-end to its WiFi, and this would ultimately assist it with offering guests free WiFi.
I applaud the group for recognising the importance of WiFi.
Whenever I travel and look to narrow my hotel search criteria, one of the options I look for is free WiFi. This is especially true when I travel overseas as SA's mobile roaming data costs are ridiculously expensive.
Hotels.com has recently released the findings of its survey that shows Tsogo Sun is on the right track. The study finds that 34% say free WiFi is the number one factor in choosing a hotel even on leisure stays. Free WiFi even trumps both "free parking" and "complimentary breakfast" when it comes to choosing a hotel.
In fact, just 11% of global travellers said they would be willing to pay for WiFi when staying in a hotel.
The TripAdvisor.com survey echoes these findings. Travellers said they expect to have free WiFi Internet access at their hotel and any other type of lodging. In their search for free access, 65% said they have used free WiFi Internet in an accommodation's lobby or common areas to avoid paying for in-room access.
Michael Fletcher, sales director of Ruckus Wireless Sub-Saharan Africa, maintains that it's non-negotiable: "Wireless is no longer just another amenity at hotels. It's like having running hot water - a requirement and a prerequisite for doing business - period. Many people frequent hotels across the country for business and require access. The easiest and simplest method is WiFi, and with hotels aiming to increase revenue per available room (RevPAR) and maximise profitability, they are jumping on the wireless bandwagon and it's easy to see why."
Restaurants are no different. Hospitality Magazine conducted a survey regarding WiFi access and the results showed that WiFi access has become an important amenity in restaurants and cafes, where customers actively choose restaurants or cafes with WiFi access.
I can vouch for this too. On a recent trip to BlackBerry Jam in Amsterdam it was a case of "free WiFi over Italian" - the need for connectivity outweighed the preference for a specific type of food. Sounds crazy, but we marched in the snow looking for the "free WiFi" sticker on the window first, and then we looked at the type of restaurant/cafe it was.
In South Africa this happens too. The restaurant offering WiFi is typically fuller than the restaurant that does not.
"With an increase in airlines and airports offering free WiFi, tech-savvy travellers expect the experience to continue upon arrival at their hotel," says Taylor L Cole, APR, travel expert for Hotels.com. "They are using their tablets, smartphones and laptops to plan activities, stay connected to family and even order a delivery meal straight to their hotel room, so it's no surprise they require free and fast WiFi."
Both restaurants and hotels are looking for ways to attract customers. They have to give their customer another reason to choose their establishment over a competitor, and offering free WiFi is definitely a big attraction. If you couple free WiFi with power sockets to charge the various power-hungry devices, you'll have a winning formula.
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