Subscribe
Login
Business Travel

Business Travelers Want Free Hotel Wi-Fi and Smart Power Outlets More Than Anything Else

Hannah Sampson

Photo Credit: An iPad streaming an album while plugged into a convenient night-stand level plug at the Weekapaug Inn in Rhode Island.  Skift

Skift Take

We think there's plenty of opportunity for hotels to get more creative with the services they offer on their mobile apps, but they should also prioritize the basics: free, fast Wi-Fi and convenient, plentiful power outlets.

Hotel companies looking to get more customers to book through direct channels may have a not-so-secret weapon, at least with business travelers: free Wi-Fi. According to a new report from the Global Business Travel Association's (GBTA) research and education branch, a majority of business travelers — between 64 and 69 percent —  say they would book a room directly with a hotel if it meant they would get free Wi-Fi or high-speed Internet. But travel managers who want road warriors to use approved channels are still concerned that hotels are using incentives such as members-only rates and extra-fast Internet to get more guests to book through a hotel website or app. Of tho

Get unlimited access with Skift Pro.

Subscribe now for complete access to Skift.com's trusted coverage of the travel industry.

Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal, VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express

Already a subscriber? Login