IHG Hotels to Offer Some Guests Free Internet

While many leading hotel companies such as Shangri-La, Carlson, Wyndham, Best Western and others, already offer free internet to all their hotel guests, and have done for quite some time now, there is still a fair number of hotel companies that have been very slow on the uptake.

InterContinental Hotels Group is one such company, but has finally decided to move forward on the issue, although not without some conditions. Instead of just offering free internet to all its hotel guests, IHG plans to reward its loyalty programme members, a club which is free to join, with free internet.

The free internet initiative will start from July 2013 for Elite members, but will only extend to all other members during 2014. The lengthy wait for non-elite members, is despite new research commissioned by IHG itself, that reveals just how important free internet is to hotel guests. The research reveals that:

- 43% of adults surveyed said that they would choose not to stay in a hotel that charged for internet.

- 23% of respondents said that free internet in rooms and throughout the hotel is the most important amenity when staying in a hotel for business, compared to 7% who chose room service.

- Travellers from China placed the most importance on online connectivity - with nearly half (47%) listing it as the most important thing to them when staying in a hotel for business, followed by those from Russia (26%), the US (23%) and India (22%).

- Travellers from the UK (18%) and the US (14%) both listed paying for internet as the second most annoying thing when staying at a hotel after noisy guests (22% and 24% respectively).

- Globally, more female respondents (14%) say free internet throughout the hotel is most important to them when staying for leisure, compared to 2% who listed having an in-room hairdryer.

Richard Solomons, Chief Executive, IHG, said, "In today's fast-paced world, we know that travellers need to stay connected and free internet access is increasingly important."

In July IHG will also rename its Priority Club Rewards programme as IHG Rewards Club.