Why Fly? For free Wi-Fi!

Wi-Fi is the most popular hotel amenity in the world, a global report conducted by Hotels.com reveals. With almost a third (30%) of global travellers (both business and leisure) choosing free Wi-Fi as their top facility, it seems gone are the days of mini-bars and an on-site spa. The UK results showed over a quarter (28%) of Brits prefer free Wi-Fi, ahead of a free breakfast (16%).  

The global survey of almost 5,000* respondents found that complimentary breakfast has been knocked off last year's top spot to second place with 21% of the global vote, but it is the top non-tech must-have amenity, with over a quarter (27%) of global travellers wishing it was included when booking a hotel stay. Only a miniscule 3% of global respondents said they would go without free breakfast in order to pay less for their hotel stay, whilst 15% of penny pinching Brits would prefer to cut it out in order to make a saving.

Free parking remained in third place for another year with one in ten (10%) choosing this facility, beating swimming pool facilities (8%), on-site restaurants and room service offerings, achieving only 3% and 2% respectively.

Surprisingly, mini-bars are the hotel feature voted most disappointing with nearly a quarter (24%) believing this is the top amenity that isn’t worth the hype. This is followed by a turndown service, receiving 13% of the global vote.

Brits still seem hooked on that traditional English breakfast, with meats such as bacon and sausages coming in at a high 46% when looking at food offerings, while only 20% chose the healthier option of fresh fruit.

Carolina Annand of the Hotels.com brand said "It is interesting to see how important technology is to hotel guests these days, and with society relying on email, messenger tools and websites to stay connected when abroad , it looks as if more traditional amenities such as the mini bar and room service are falling out of favour with guests."

Top ten most popular global hotel amenities: