For those who depend on getting some work done during a hotel stay, it has been a frustrating, uphill battle when it comes to Wi-Fi speeds at hotels.
For one, a lot of hotels weren't necessarily built with Wi-Fi in mind, even though it has arguably become a necessary commodity in today's modern age. Even New York City has recognized its widespread need for communications by installing free Wi-Fi similar to public drinking fountains in old phone booths. Secondly, the speeds at which the Wi-Fi comes in at in most hotels (if you get a signal at all) has been spotty at worst, average at best.
When considering that travel in itself can be a stressful experience, the last thing a traveler should have to worry about in 2014 is whether or not they are going to have sufficient Wi-Fi to maintain their work or communication with their family while away.
The makers of a new Chrome browser extension have recognized this glaring problem and have just released what is sure to be a great tool for Wi-Fi conscious travelers.
"Hotel Wi-Fi Test" is a new browser extension that displays information about a hotel's Wi-Fi speed and quality onto the most popular booking and travel websites including Hotels.com, Expedia, Booking.com and TripAdvisor. Released on Monday, Sept. 1, the extension is built off the HotelWiFiTest platform that, while useful, was also a cumbersome experience due to the constant switching between tabs and inputting the correct hotel information.
"Hotelwifitest.com's integration with travel and booking sites gives power back to travelers, allowing them to effortlessly select a hotel based on its fast and reliable Wi-Fi. Because consumers can easily see a hotel's Wi-Fi performance before they book, not after they enter the room, hotels now have a greater incentive to provide quality Wi-Fi to their visitors," the company stated in a press release on Monday.
Recent studies have shown (and proven) that Wi-Fi is not only one of the most requested amenities, it is also one of the most frequent traveler complaints. While hotel booking sites prefer to leave out any negative information about a potential hotel booking, this marketing tactic has proven to be unfair for the travelers who book those rooms.
If the tool picks up in popularity, perhaps it will kickstart a new initiative for hotels both big and small to step up their Wi-Fi game for the legions of travelers who depend on it to stay in touch with their friends and family back home.
You can find the Chrome extension over at HotelWifiTest.com.
