Hilton Worldwide partnering with BTOpenzone to provide better Wi-Fi

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor

Today, hotel chain Hilton Worldwide announced partnering with BT Openzone to enhance internet services and boost network bandwidth in a bid to provide enhanced Wi-Fi and fixed-line web access for guests.

BT Openzone users and customers from iPass, AT&T and other BT Openzone roaming partners can also use the service free of charge when visiting the hotels.

From an article in ITPro: “Once complete, some 100 Hilton hotels and 17,000 bedrooms, in addition to public areas and meeting rooms, will benefit faster and more reliable web access.”

From Hilton Worldwide’s press release:

Chris Bruce, CEO, BT Openzone, said: “The growing number of travellers with mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones, means guests increasingly expect to be able to log on wherever they are and with a fast and reliable connection. BT currently has 2.8 million Wi-Fi hotspots across the U.K. and Ireland. By expanding our coverage at Hilton Worldwide’s portfolio of hotels, we are demonstrating our commitment in providing leading edge technology services to partners in a very demanding service environment.”

Last year’s JD Power and Associates’ 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study showed that hotel guests indicate that wireless Internet access is their #1 Most Important Amenity in all but one hotel segment.

Mobile workers like their smartphones and tablets and rely on them more than ever when traveling. In last quarter’s Mobile Workforce Report, we found that 71% of mobile workers connect two or more devices to hotel Wi-Fi. Not just one. In our Q3 2010 Report, we found that hotels continue to be the most popular place to log in when on the road.

• 95 percent of business travelers care if there is Wi-Fi or a wired connection in a hotel
• 79% of mobile employees return to the same locations on business trips. This number goes up for employees 45 years and older, and these same employees travel more for business.
• A poor hotel Wi-Fi experience impacts 36 percent of business travelers on whether they book that specific hotel in the future

Hilton Worldwide is working to make that experience better.

 

Tags: enterprise mobility, hospitality, mobile workforce, smartphone, tablet