The new service means free unlimited Wi-Fi will be available in all bedrooms, lobby areas and meetings and can be accessed by anyone in the hotel, whether guest or visitor.
The partnership will see glh, which owns the Thistle brand as well as a number of prominent London hotels, become the biggest user of BT’s free Wi-Fi. The group said it had made a ‘significant’ investment in the technology, installing 2800 antennae across its hotel portfolio.
Chief executive of glh, Mike DeNoma, said: “No registrations, no limitations and no fine print, just fast, free unlimited BT Wi-fi. Investing in cutting edge BT technology to ensure that anyone visiting our hotels has access to free, fast, and one-click to connect Wi-Fi is a long-term investment in customer loyalty. Strong, unlimited Wi-Fi across our properties is what keeps our customers connected.”
Wi-Fi
Thistle guests used over 1bn minutes of Wi-Fi in 2013, and glh said it had experienced a 13% growth in customer loyalty amongst its business customers since upgrading Wi-Fi in its hotels last year.
BDRC Continental’s 2013 Hotel Guest Survey revealed that Wi-Fi is now seen as the top functional product and service priority for business travellers, with guests considering it as important as a good night’s sleep.