The impact of WiFi quality on Booking scores

Ever wondered how you can improve the overall Booking rating of your hotel? Of course, the overall experience of the stay and the quality of the services provided will influence the overall rating left by the guests, but what comments are they leaving on Booking.com? Let's explore the impact WiFi services can have on the overall Booking score.

The overall rating is no longer an average rating of the different categories

As of 2019, the overall rating given by guests on Booking is no longer the average ratings given to the different categories: cleanliness, comfort, value for money, location, staff, free WiFi, etc. Rather, they are now a rating in their own right, so that guests can better rate their experience.

Booking explained its choice by saying: "Customers now choose for themselves how they would like to rate their overall experience in your establishment. There are several reasons for this change. Firstly, some specific categories, such as location, are not directly under your control. Also, some aspects, such as breakfast and noise, which are equally important to guests, are not covered by these categories." 

This is why we can see differences between the overall score and the average of the categories. In the following example, Citadine Islington London (a Wifirst's client), has a superb average score of 9.1. Their individual WiFi score is also 9.1, which is a much higher score than other London hospitality accommodations.

So can a hotel ignore its WiFi score?

Clearly not! For one thing, neglecting your WiFi score is equivalent to neglecting your WiFi network, which is no longer acceptable for the customer (and employee) experience in 2022. Besides, the most demanding, curious or picky customers will pay attention to all the scores. A poor WiFi score will really make a difference, as in the case of this other Islington hotel (not a Wifirst client, I might add!).

Although again the 2 scores are not mathematically correlated, there is no doubt that the overall score would be better with good WiFi service.

You gain 0.47 points with Wifirst

In December 2021, our teams carried out a study on 3194 hotels. By crossing the data with the Wifirst customer base, we note a very clear and unequivocal correlation between the hotel's WiFi Booking score and the WiFi provider. On average, a hotel covered with Wifirst network has a WiFi score 0.47 points higher than hotels equipped by other providers.

WiFi is now a real business issue, which deserves to be treated with the same care as other essential hotel services (bedding or quality catering, for example). Wifirst's offer enables it to stand out from its competitor thanks to a managed WiFi that offers quality services: a secure WiFi "just like at home" for customers with a multiservice WiFi that accelerates the digital transformation and facilitates the work of employees, allowing them to focus on their core business.

We have been investing in the quality of our networks for 20 years and continue to adapt. But there is nothing better than impartial, intangible proof (like the booking scores) to showcase our WiFi as a Service solution and its benefits.