IHG carried an global survey across India, China, US, UK, Germany, France and Russia which revealed that 43 per cent of adults would choose not to stay in a hotel that charged for internet. The survey highlights that a large proportion of the business and leisure travelers listed internet access as the main amenity they expect to receive free of charge in hotels over full room service. Free internet access is a key consideration for travelers when planning their hotel stays.
The study, commissioned by IHG and carried out by YouGov Plc between March 1 and 8, 2013, saw 8,306 adults (ie 18+ year-olds) surveyed in China (1,016), France (1,005), Germany (1,032), India (1,011), Russia (1,018), UK (2,070) and the US (1,154).
It reveals that:
• 43% of adults surveyed said that they would choose not stay in a hotel that charged for internet.
• 23% of respondents online 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.
• Among the countries surveyed, online connectivity throughout the hotel holds the highest significance for the Chinese when making hotel bookings for business (47%) or for leisure (13%), and 70% agreed that they would choose not to stay in a hotel if it didn’t offer free internet
• Travellers from China placed the most importance on online connectivity – with nearly half (47%) listing it as the most important 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 (2%).
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