According to a recent survey, free internet Wi-Fi access rated number 1 as the most important factor in choosing a hotel. The participants in the survey included 1,000 US travelers and 600 hotel representatives.

Almost 90% of these travelers expect free Wi-Fi to be available as part of their accomodations. Over 40% report that they have never paid for Wi-Fi in a hotel and 65% report that they have used Wi-Fi in hotel lobby’s and other common areas to avoid additional room charges for the service.

93% of the hotel representatives surveyed reported that they do offer some variety of free Wi-Fi for customers. Also of interest, over 50% of travelers claim they have canceled reservations because they found other places to stay that did offer free Wi-Fi.

The second most important factor in deciding to stay at a hotel was whether breakfast was included in the stay, followed by the availability of guest loyalty points. The number four factor was the availability of nearby restaurants. And finally, the number five deciding factor was the availability of some form of shuttle service.

Hotel representatives and customers alike, rated the above five items as the most important factors in deciding what hotels to stay at. This reveals, at least in the hotels surveyed, that representatives truly understand their customer’s needs.