It is hard to imagine the world without the internet. Today, it is as much a part of our lives as pen and paper were in the old days. The modern-day equivalent would be e-mail and no longer is e-mail something that we check once a day – instead, this has become a recurring activity throughout the day which keeps us more responsive, communicative, and productive.

Our smartphones have enabled us to have instant access to e-mails and receive alerts about important meetings, appointments, or tasks at a moment’s notice.

A great advantage to many of us post the outbreak of the pandemic is the ability to work remotely from anywhere. While inter-provincial travel is open in South Africa, we can take this opportunity and travel to our desired destination locally and continue to work and get things done!

It is important for accommodation owners to anticipate midweek travel and ensure that while business professionals are travelling for work  and in some cases juggling family life with work, all the essential services  are in place to host guests and ensure they can work seamlessly with limited interruptions.

It is safe to say that your guest will most certainly have a smartphone while travelling, with their tablet or laptop not far away. Your guests will want to be connected when they get to their rooms. It’s interesting to note that more than 40% of travellers consider Wi-Fi when booking a hotel room or guest house.

Here are some great tips if you’re in the hospitality business and want to stand out and ensure your guests have an amazing experience both from a connectivity and comfortability point of view:

• Fast connectivity and complimentary Wi-Fi is a non-negotiable and an absolute necessity today. Internet connectivity has a way of providing security, knowing that you can get through your to-do list while the rest of your family can be entertained watching their favourite shows, catching up on school-work remotely or calling a relative or friend on Skype for a catch up.
• Sufficient and comfortable warmth and ventilation
• An extra empty room in case there is a need to take personal calls or just take some time out for quiet reflection.
• Your staff to be sufficiently trained about reminding guests to follow protocols even when it feels uncomfortable.
• Power outlets and the right number of these, together with USB ports so your guests can charge their phones, computers, tablets, cameras, music players and other electronic devices.
• Last but not least is providing blackout curtains. This will help your guests to have better sleep and experience positive feelings about your accommodation offering.

Let us make it our mission to promote local travel and support small and rural towns by being flexible to travel whilst working, provided we have the assurance of staying connected.

It’s no longer just about the internet being pivotal to how we work and manage our personal lives, but it also needs to be functional, reliable and consistent.