Free Wi-Fi Top Priority for Indian Travellers, Survey Finds

Free Wi-Fi has become a must for travellers, including Indians, who consider this amenity as a standard service across all hotels, says a survey.

"Free Wi-Fi is a must for both business and leisure travellers, including Indians, as almost 53 percent of guests wish this amenity as a standard service across all hotels," according to the 'Top Hotel Amenity' survey by Hotels.com, an online accommodation booking website.

The survey is based on the responses of over 4,700 respondents globally.

Further, the survey revealed that Indians have become more tech-savvy with a large percentage of the population using smartphones and rely on the free hotel Wi-Fi.

Deprived of free public Wi-Fi hotspots compared to other countries, Indian business travellers appear to be more reliant on the free hotel Wi-Fi as it stood first on their priority list with 33 percent, it added.

For leisure travellers, free breakfast and free Wi-Fi top the amenities list (33 percent), the survey said.

About 25 percent Indian travellers also feel fitness centres as the number one non-tech amenity, which should be available at all hotels.

Whereas a staggering 57 percent travellers are willing to pay more to avail this facility, it said.

Mini bar (25 percent), DVD player (25 percent), trouser press (25 percent) and bathroom phones (12 percent) no longer appealing to the Indian travellers as they are never used, it said.

About 71 percent Indian travellers feel that hotels should do away with bath robes and use of pool, bathtub to lower the hotel rates.

Noise from other guests, unpleasant carpet odours and running out of hot water (43 percent) annoys Indians the most during hotel stays, it said.

Meanwhile, the survey also revealed that pilfering items from hotels is a global travel custom, in which India stood 20th in global ranking with (57 percent) bragging about not taking anything from hotel rooms while (29 percent) have admitted to pocketing stationary.

Meanwhile, Argentina (27 percent), Singapore (29 percent) and Spain (30 percent) lead the sticky fingers list.

In contrast, the survey found that (69 percent) of Colombians and (67 percent) of Norwegians indicated they have never stolen from a hotel.