Accor offers free Wi-Fi to nearly 200 hotels in UK and Ireland

French hotel group Accor is to offer free Wi-Fi across 194 of its properties in the UK and Ireland.

Free Wi-Fi to download speeds of 512kb per second, allowing guests to browse the internet and check emails at an efficient speed in public areas and bedrooms, will be available at its Ibis, Novotel, Mercure, Pullman and MGallery brands, but not at its three Formule 1 hotels.

Guests can purchase premium high speed Wi-Fi, ideal for downloading films, for a charge.

Accor has changed its policy regarding Wi-Fi following the publication of the BDRC Continental in Great Britain Hotel Guest Survey, Annual Report 2013, which revealed that free Wi-Fi throughout hotels is the most important factor for business travellers when choosing where to stay.

Thomas Dubaere, managing director of Accor UK & Ireland said: "Free Wi-Fi has become the norm at many coffee houses or bars but in the past with hotel groups it can vary from property to property, and differ between the public areas to bedrooms. We recognise that guests expect to have free Wi-Fi wherever they are in the hotel and for it to be a quick, high quality connection.

Earlier this year, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced that it would be introducing free internet access to all 71 million members of its loyalty programme, the IHG Reward Club.

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Choice Hotels says free Wi-Fi is most valued amenity for business travellers >>

Three-quarters of hotel guests want capped free Wi-Fi access >>