What do you look for in a Hotel?by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 23 Jun 2008 10:52 PM Do you insist on getting complimentary breakfast or would you give up the free bagel for free in-room wireless Internet access? If you rather stay at a hotel that gives out complimentary waffles and OJ in the morning you might have to look a bit harder these days, according to a recent survey of 10,000 hotels conducted for the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The study also found this irony: the more you pay for your room, the less likely you are to get free Wi-Fi. Wireless Internet access is being offered by 91% of hotels, up 35% from four years ago, according to the survey. However, three-fourths of luxury hotels and 91% of "upper upscale" hotels charge guests to access the Internet from their rooms. Bottom line: If you are rich enough to pay at least 500 bucks per room per night, the hotel figures you can afford to shell out extra to check your email. The same goes for in-room iPod docking stations. According to the survey, 35% of the hotels that responded offered iPod docking stations in their rooms, but the majority of them were luxury properties that charged guests for the amenity. As for those complimentary breakfasts... Fifty-nine percent of the responding hotels offered a free breakfast, but that was down nearly 10% from 2006. So how hard is it to find a lodging with a pool these days? According to the survey, 47% of the hotels participating in the survey have indoor swimming pools, while 58% have outdoor swimming pools. If you are looking for guest rooms that sport upgraded amenities such as flat-screen TVs and plush bedding you are in luck. The survey found that 43% of hotels surveyed offer flat-screen TVs in guest rooms, and 57% said they upgraded bedding packages in the past year. And even better news for families traveling with babies (and baby bottles) 82% of the hotels surveyed offer a refrigerator in rooms, up from 68% in 2006. Finally, if you don't venture to a hotel unless you can snag a special discount you will be delighted to know that 67% of respondents said they offer some type of reduced weekend rate. That's up 8% from 2006. Related Articles: Hotels: How Green is Too Green and Living Like Indy How to Score a Free Hotel Room this Summer New Religious Offerings in Hotel Rooms Sleek and Sexy Hotels--Any Takers? Budget Hotels--Less Buggy More Beautiful Hotel Happenings: Dirty Rooms and the Dreaded Wake Up Call The Hotel Wake Up Call-Not So Dreaded Anymore Travel Tips--Hotel's Unwanted Guests Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags family travel, hotel, pool, Travel Discuss this article
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