Putting on the Ritz for free hotel hi-speed Wi-Fi

Free high speed Wi-Fi is to be provided to guests staying at the luxury Ritz hotel in London following a 12-week network upgrade.

Free high speed Wi-Fi is to be provided to guests staying at the luxury Ritz hotel in London following a 12-week network upgrade.

Previously guests were required to pay for internet access. They will now gain complimentary access anywhere in the hotel and can connect up to 10 independent devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones, which will all receive download speeds of up to 50Mbps.

The hotel’s managing director Stephen Boxall said: “From listening to our guests we learned that convenient and fast internet access is an essential requirement of theirs, whether they are staying for business or leisure purposes.

“Moreover, given how readily available internet access is either via public Wi-Fi or 3G networks, charging for internet access is an additional expense we do not want to continue to burden our guests with.”

He added that “simply providing internet access on a complimentary basis was an insufficient measure by our standards, therefore we chose to invest considerably in a network upgrade to ensure our guests not only benefit from complimentary internet access but also enjoy download speeds that are unsurpassed in the London luxury hotel sector”.

The network upgrade involved the installation of a designated guest internet line capable of delivering an internet feed of 400Mb at the hotel which opened in 1906.

In addition, 173 wireless access points were installed throughout the bedrooms, private dining and event suites, and public areas, to ensure delivery of strong wi-fi signals.