Internet connectivity a must in hotels for global travellers, survey reveals

Wi-Fi is now a must-have amenity that all hotels worldwide must provide to attract travellers, according to a survey.

Hotels.com's latest research showed that topping the list of must-have hotel amenities are free Wi-Fi and free food and beverages, with caffeine being a must. All the rest is just extra.

Free Wi-Fi trumps both free parking and complimentary breakfast when it comes to choosing a hotel for both leisure and business travel, showing that access to the online world is a necessity for modern-day travellers with more than a third still looking to stay connected while on their holidays.

In fact just 11 per cent of global travellers said they would be willing to pay for Wi-Fi when staying in a hotel.

"With an increase in airlines and airports offering free Wi-Fi, tech-savvy travellers expect the experience to continue upon arrival at their hotel," Zoe Chan, senior PR manager of Hotels.com Asia-Pacific, said last week.

"They are using their tablets, smart phones 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 Wi-Fi."

It would seem that the technological creature comforts of home are also high on the priority list for travellers with 23 per cent choosing high-end coffeemakers as their top modern tech equipment in hotel room amenity. Totally wired rooms that are completely controlled by one remote for any need took 20 per cent of the vote. Guests also indicated they would like to enjoy that much-wanted free Wi-Fi on hotel-provided tablets for guest information, room service and local guides (15 per cent).

Keeping hydrated when travelling is important to hotel guests with 43 per cent choosing complimentary bottled water as the most appreciated simple amenity.

Only respondents from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Brazil rated free power adapters above bottled water.

Free breakfast ranked as the favourite (31 per cent) non-tech item global travellers want to see become standard at all hotels this year.

Travellers cite unlimited free food and beverages as their most (23 per cent) missed comfort from home when travelling. And 14 per cent say they miss access to cooking in their kitchen the most.

About 26 per cent say their favourite amenity while staying at a luxury hotel is the high-end fitness centre and/or spa, while designer toiletries also rank highly at 21 per cent.

While travellers enjoy their time living the highlife, the promotion of bath menus/bath butlers (26 per cent) and turn down service (24 per cent) as amenities simply aren't of interest, according to survey respondents.

More than half of respondents (54 per cent) chose the complimentary use of a Rolls Royce Phantom as the "outrageous" luxury hotel amenity they'd most like to experience.

The surreal car ride beat out access to a tea sommelier (9 per cent), in-room mixologist (9 per cent) and fragrance butler (5 per cent) among other lesser desired extreme amenities.

The survey was conducted in January, covering more than |8,600 respondents across 28 countries/cities - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, |India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK and US.