In the good old days, wireless internet was a nice amenity. But now it’s become a necessity.
It’s becoming as common in hotels as “cable TV and a free newspaper on the doorstep,” reported The Washington Times.
In 2002, only 1,000 hotels had Wi-Fi. But nearly 25,000 hotels are expected to offer it by 2007, according to Pyramid Research.
Most of the major hotel brands have already added Wi-Fi to their properties. Costs vary but Marriott International — which has 2,100 hotels with WiFi — charges $2.95 for the first 15 minutes and 25 cents per minute.
“When trying to attract business, it’s a selling point that attendees will have wireless connection,” said John Wolf, a spokesman for Marriott.
Report by David Wilkening
