Of course, a hotel company based in the tech-crazy San Francisco Bay Area offers the best WiFi in the lodging industry.
Boutique hotelier Kimpton Hotels came in first in HotelChatter’s annual WiFi report. Kimpton, operator of about 60 hotels across the U.S., won kudos for high-quality connectivity and offering free WiFi with its free loyalty program.
Luxury hotel operators Peninsula and Fairmont came in right behind Kimpton with their WiFi ratings. Rounding out the top five were small companies Ace Hotels (four properties total) and Swire Hotels (two hotels in Hong Kong).
On the flip side, HotelChatter ranked Starwood's Westin and W brands as the two worst WiFi providers.
Westin got dinged for charging $9.95 a day for WiFi combined with having substandard free-lobby WiFi, while W was criticized for charging $14.95 a day and offering free service only for the company’s platinum-level Preferred customers.
Marriott’s flagship brand came in at third-worst for charging $12.95 a day for “so-so” WiFi, while Hard Rock Hotels and Hilton Hotels rounded out the bottom five, essentially for not making free WiFi more widely available to their guests.
HotelChatter has been conducting its annual WiFi report since 2004.
Follow Danny King on Twitter @dktravelweekly.