Wi-fi around the world

It should serve as the death knell for Internet connection charges in upscale hotels.

The pressure started with budget hotels tossing in free wi-fi connections along with their breakfast buffets. Then restaurants followed until the sign “free wi-fi here” became a staple of McDonald’s, Panera Bread and even little mom-and-pops like Aviano‘s pizza.

Now it seems airlines might be the next hospitality arena to offer Internet without a $10.95 24-hour charge.

JiWire and Row 44 are reportedly in talks with Southwest and Alaska Airlines to deliver wi-fi network paid all or in large part  by advertising instead of log-on fees. The specifics are sketchy — some speculate users will have to stroll through a virtual mall to reach the Wild, Wild Net, a modern twist on the SkyMall catalogue.

The idea would certainly appeal to a business audience that has pulled its dollars from the travel industry in this recession. In fact, surveys by the Wi-Fi Alliance show that 76 percent of business travelers would pick an airline based on wireless access, and more than 70 percent would choose wi-fi over a meal service.

And it should go a long way toward converting the Internet from a service to a standard throughout the entire industry, similar to a televsion set. Hotels need to watch this experiment quickly … and it wouldn’t hurt the cruise lines to eavesdrop, too.

Photography courtesy mujitra (Flickr)

mobile computing heaven

The race is on.

The Westin St. Francis in San Francisco’s Union Square is among the first hoteliers to sign up with LodgeNet Interactive Corporation to implement its Mobile Internet Devices and integrate them into their own hospitality system.

In English, this means Westin guests can order in-room dining, book a spa appointment, make golf reservations, sign up for their reward program points and even change the in-room temperature and electricity controls through their iPhones and Blackberries. Basically, guests’ smart phones replace the concierge function, which will no doubt trigger a rebuttal from the National Concierge Association. But let’s face it: the name of the game has always been “be relevant or be run over.”

The project is in the pilot stages this summer; LodgeNet says it should roll out more test markets between now and the end of 2009. Anyone who wants to see this technology in action can stop by the company’s booth at HITEC at the Anaheim Convention Center June 23 – 25.

It’s a smart move for anyone who read the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s 2008 study on customer satisfaction. A whopping 82 percent of guests say they care most about their wi-fi services, even over in-room entertainment systems and airline check-in kiosks.

Which could explain why Omni Hotels — the first luxury hotel brand to give guests free wireless access in their rooms — is focusing more on the basics. It signed with BelAir Networks to upgrade its network design to accommodate mobile computing. “With nearly 50 percent of our guests using wi-fi and their bandwidth demands continuing to accelerate, we sought a high-performance network partner” says Richard Tudgay, Omni’s IT veep.

Photography: Westin St. Francis