Wireless Internet access is a near ubiquity at U.S. hotels, and fewer properties are charging for the service, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2008 Lodging Survey, which was released this week.
The survey, conducted by Smith Travel Research and based on the responses of more than 10,000 U.S. hotels, found that 91 percent of responding properties now offer wireless Internet access, up from 35 percent in 2004. The survey reported that 16 percent of hotels charge for in-room Internet service, down from 19 percent in 2006 and 22 percent in 2004
(BTNonline, Aug. 14, 2006).
For the first time this year, AH&LA also included questions about green initiatives in its survey. Twenty percent of hotels reported that they've incorporated elements of the standards the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design standards in the past 12 months, and an additional 21 percent reported that they would be incorporating them within the next 12 months. More than two-thirds of hotels reported that they use energy-efficient lighting.