Connectivity far outweighs all other hotel amenities according to a recent survey conducted by GO Airport Express, which serves O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport.
Almost 200 people participated in the survey which asked travelers, what, aside from breakfast, is their favorite hotel freebie; 68 percent of respondents checked Wi-Fi.
The second top answer, at 14 percent, was free transportation between the hotel and the airports. Following that were happy hour and in-room coffee and tea, tied at five percent.
Use of health club and the pool, free cookies and other snacks were preferred by three percent. Other amenities listed in the survey included newspapers; on-site airline and baggage check-in; complimentary use of umbrellas and on-site bicycles and bathrobes; less than one percent of respondents chose any of these options as their favorites.
“Today’s travelers have made it clear they want and need to be connected at all times, and they don’t want to be charged for it,” says John McCarthy, president, GO Airport Express. “In order to build and maintain loyalty, properties should be responsive to this widely preferred amenity.”