WiFi Increases Hotel Net Competition

Ian Fogg | November 18, 2003, 11:53 PM

At a Paris hotel this week, despite it claiming good Internet access in advance, the reality was just a dial-up connection.

Nevertheless, I tried WiFi, and found a solid chargeable connection from the cafe-bar three floors below completely bypassing the hotel's services.

The same competition will apply to cafe's that locate in clusters on the same street. I could equally have been in the bar next door as a hotel room. Offering WiFi access will not guarantee increased premise footfall, if the WiFi signal penetrates into adjacent cafes as it surely will. For me, the choice in such situations will continue to be based on the best coffee and most comfortable seating.

But Who will make money from such hotspots?

Read the report, or talk to us at Jupiter Research.