Is it essential to provide wifi/internet

[Adelle5]

Oh my first three bookings - 2 did not ask for and were not concerned that there was no wifi, however one guest stated that it was a must for guests.

What is the main reason for it being a must? So they don’t use their phone data?

i have seen a few topics about guests getting refunds if the wifi plays up - this to me seems like something you have no control over and just a possible way to loose money on top of the monthly costs to have it. 

I would love to hear what other people do and what their experiences have been.

thank you!

adelle 

[Kath9]

@Adelle5, you don't have Wifi listed as part of your amenities so if someone books your place expecting Wifi, then that's their problem and they have no right to insist on it. However, as others have said, people just expect Wifi these days. If it's available in your area, I would seriously think about getting it if you are keen to build your Airbnb business. However, if you don't really care about the number of bookings, don't worry about it, but make it really obvious in big block letters that you don't have it.

[Sam397]

@Adelle5, it is most definitely a must. Everything is done with WIFI now, In fact, there are people who couldn't stay at a place without it. 

[Darren99]

Yes, it is a must that WiFi be available. Of the 20 plus guest, all but one did not require internet access. While installing a more powerful internet, I had a guest checkout because they would have lost one day of work without the internet. 

[Cathie19]

Consensus @Adelle5 is:

* off the grid > not expected & published in listing as not available.

* standard on grid residence > internet access is almost a mandatory requirement. How you offer it is up to you.

** If you do not supply unlimited access, the you must NOTE this in your listing descriptor to avoid negative reviews.

As a host and a guest, it is one of the amenities that I consider essential.

[Susan1404]

Laughing here reading all these comments about the necessity of wifi.  Apparently my guests don't agree with you.  I started hosting my guest cabin thru Airbnb and two other platforms last November and have had a pretty steady supply of guests with not one complaint about not having wifi.  Most guests who leave feed back make comments about how peaceful it is here and how nice it is to leave the hectic pace behind them.  I was going to install it, but now I don't know if I really need to do so as long as guests keep booking with me.

[Sandra856]

Hi @Susan1404 🙂

Are your guests also foreigners?

As I write it really depends on where you host and if your guests are from your own country as they then won't need wifi. If I only hosted danish guests they would all have their own unlimited data. 

[Susan1404]

@Sandra856- many of my guests are from the U.S., but I've had a handful of foreign guests who made no complaint.  Perhaps I've just been lucky so far.  Hope I can still say the same thing a few years from now.

[Ange2]

@Sandra856    In my experience that is not the case. I have many US  visitors who do not have affordable service provider data packages for out of state usage, the first thing they ask for is the  wifi codes.  In fact far more foreign visitors come with their own data packages and SIM cards and do not use the wifi.

[Sandra856]

Okay, @Ange2 🙂

I can't tell how it is in other countries but in Denmark people have their own data packages so they wouldn't need my internet. Also I know that Scandinavian is very digitalized so you need to have access to the internet. For instance we hardly use money anymore. So maybe that is why I see it as essential? Everyones got it so I would be the only one not providing it. 

[Ange2]

@Sandra856  Makes sense. European countries,  especially Scandinavian countries,  are much more connected and  integrated into the digital world.  Internet speed is slower here, more expensive and not that consistent in comparison. There is still a bank on every corner in this city and many small restaurants and stores only take cash.  It must seem archaic. In the not so distant future the personal portable WiFi routers that many foreign guests come equipped with will probably be as normal to everyone as having your own cellphone and toothbrush.

[Sandra856]

@Ange2 It all happens so fast so I'm sure you are right. I haven't really thought about it before this thread but it is crazy to think of that we don't pay with real money anymore. Even at fleamarkets we use apps to pay. It's a little scary that everything is on track, all your data and your every move is recorded somehow. 

[Ange2]

@Adelle5    I would not say it is a must, but you must be clear about it and reiterate it in messages you send guests. There are hosts (and posts here about it) who do not offer it because it would price them out of their market or they are in remote zones and it is extremely inconsistent. And there is, allegedly, the threat of a massive refund to the guest, essentially a freebie trip for them, at the host's expense because of an outage or inconsistent connection.

An alternative would be to supply information on where to buy data packages that are best for your location, they are increasingly affordable  and becoming more popular.  I have been using them for a while, so not being offered wifi wouldn't bother me. In fact I would be quite happy about it if I were on vacation. Personally,  I wish people would get used to providing their own data.  I was threatened with a 1,000 dollar fine and being blacklisted  from the internet because a guest abused mine and downloaded illegal material, and I had a slew of blockers in place to avoid that.  It was a real pain to deal with.

[Sandra126]

No, not a must. I don't offer. I just know I would have trouble with it and better not to offer at all. International guests probably need it more than locals who have it on their phones. 

[Sandra856]

@Sandra126 In Scandinavia everything is pretty much digitalised nowadays. I was in Oslo for 4 days and I didn't use Norwegian money ones. I used credit cards and an app for when I needed to rent a bike and another app when I needed to pay for a tram ticket. In Copenhagen it is not even possible to rent a tourist bike without downloading an app. We had so many banks just 10 years ago. They are almost all of them closed down as people use their bank apps and don't use physical money anymore.

Where I live in Copenhagen and with the guests I have it would definitely have an inpact on my bookings if I am the only one without wifi. What I'm trying to say is that for some guests and in some areas of the world it is not essential but I think it is in my case. 

[Paul154]

Any business owner who lets customers (guests) run the owner's business will soon be a pauper and die in ignominy.

@Adelle5 , you are right to ask this question.  Your house, your business, your decision.

In general, business questions can be easily answered by "the market". That is, what does your competition do?

I find it is easiest to match the market. Less stress, less thought, less hidden risk.

You can be successful without wifi, but you will need to compensate (better experience, lower pricing, simplier offering, clearer marketing)