Shangri-La becomes first hotel group to offer free Net access

MANILA, Philippines - Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia-Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, has become the first international hotel group to offer free Wi-Fi and wired Internet to every guest as part of a group-wide initiative launched last month in all 60 Shangri-La and Traders hotels and resorts.

In response to the current economic downturn and its impact on business travel budgets, all Shangri-La guests now enjoy unlimited high-speed Internet access in all areas of the group’s hotels, including guestrooms, public areas, restaurants, lounges and function areas.

“Getting connected while on the road is the number one priority of our business travelers and many of our valued customers view Internet access as absolutely crucial. Offering free Internet is further evidence of our commitment to Shangri-La’s service to our customers during these uncertain times,” said Madhu Rao, managing director and chief executive officer.

“No longer considered a luxury, guests are demanding high-speed Internet access as an essential room requirement and as something that should be included as a standard service by an international hotel group,” Rao added.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts owns and/or manages 60 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brands, with a room inventory of over 28,000.

The group has over 50 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Japan, Macau, Maldives, the Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States.