Hyatt just pwned internet offering across all hotel chains

A couple of days back, I wrote about SPG offering free internet in 2015 for direct bookings. IHG and Marriott are already offering or have announced internet for all members, and Hilton HHonors offers complimentary high-speed internet for its Gold and Diamond members. But in all of those cases, there are often restrictions on the number of devices that can be connected or the speeds are not necessarily great. There is great variability in terms of what you get in different parts of the world - in India and Asia-Pac for instance, complimentary internet either isn't usually a problem, or isn't very expensive.

Yesterday, Hyatt made an announcement that will surely make the other biggies in this space change their strategies around complimentary internet. 

Starting February 2015, all guests at all Hyatt hotels will receive free wifi internet across an unlimited number of devices and laptops. And unlike SPG, this benefit will be available irrespective of the booking source. And taken together, this is fabulous! Where a property has differential internet access, Hyatt's Platinum and Diamond members will receive premium internet, while all other guests will receive standard internet.

As Kristine Rose, vice president of brands for Hyatt, says, "Internet connectivity is no longer an amenity. It has become an integral part of travelers’ daily lives and a basic expectation." And I have to agree 100%, even if sometimes, some of us need to lay off that particular amenity a little bit! And of course, she adds (almost tongue-in-cheek), "Travelers shouldn’t have to remember which brands or locations offer it for free or the strings attached to get it."

All in, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and SPG offer / will be offering complimentary internet at least to all their program members. Which leaves Hilton behind, and the clock is ticking before they can get equally competitive.

Personally, Hyatt is one brand that I've not stayed with much. I had a stay a the Park Hyatt Goa a couple of years back, but that's all the stays with Hyatt in the last 5 years. I usually get complimentary internet for being SPG Gold, Hilton HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold and IHG Platinum, and as of now, Hyatt's internet announcement won't make me change my stay patterns much. But those privileges won't necessarily last forever, so I'm happy to consider Hyatt in the future.