“Through consistency of access, combined with it being a free-to-guest amenity,” responds Michael LaCosta, Wingate’s Public Relations Manager. “Many brands certainly have announced an intent to provide access in every guestroom, chain-wide, but how many of their hotels actually have it? Or will have it within the next year? Wingate’s consistency is a major plus for us; our target guests know for certain that they can access the Internet at high-speed, as often as they want, at every location and at no cost, and they come prepared to do that.” As a result, Wingate sees about a 15% usage rate for the facility.

What other technology-oriented services does Wingate offer its guests? “We have a 900 MHz cordless two-line speaker/conferencing phone in each room,” says LaCosta, “plus Lodgenet pay-per-view movies, games and TV-based Internet access for those guests who don’t have a laptop with them. And we’ll be adding Lodgenet’s music service as soon as that becomes available.” Wingate doesn’t offer printers or fax machines for guests to use in their rooms, but all properties have a 24-hour no-charge business center for as much printing, copying or faxing as they want.

“The key is having a clear understanding of what combination of guaranteed services makes traveling more productive and easier for your particular target guest,” concludes LaCosta, “and then providing it consistently and as conveniently as possible at every property. It’s always been a winning strategy for Wingate.”

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