InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has just introduced a useful new innovation that will make it easier for IHG One Rewards members to connect to Wi-Fi at 5,000+ properties worldwide.
In this post:
IHG’s new effortless Wi-Fi connection feature
IHG has just launched a new mobile product feature, known as IHG Wi-Fi Auto Connect. With this new feature, those with the IHG One Rewards mobile app (for both iOS and Android) will automatically be able to connect to Wi-Fi upon arrival at hotels, without having to do anything.
That’s right, there’s no need to enter your room number and name, or a password, but rather your device will automatically connect. IHG states that this is enabled by the newly redesigned IHG app and IHG’s proprietary internet solution, IHG One Rewards Wi-Fi. IHG logs more than 5.3 million monthly Wi-Fi logins, so suffice it to say that this could save quite some time.
This new feature requires a one-time setup via the app, where members can enable the auto connection. Then IHG One Rewards members will have access to Wi-Fi whenever they’re at an IHG hotel, whether it’s for a meeting, an overnight stay, or a meal.
This is a legitimately awesome innovation
It’s nice to see a hotel group make a positive change for once, since it feels like all the “innovation” in the hotel industry lately has involved new ways to cut costs, from eliminating daily housekeeping, to figuring out ways to reduce elite benefits.
Being able to automatically connect to Wi-Fi will save a lot of IHG guests time and frustration. I just wish that this wouldn’t just apply to mobile devices, but that there could also be a way for laptops to auto connect.
Especially with more people working while traveling, there’s still a big opportunity for hotels to be more consistent with their Wi-Fi offerings. For example, some hotels make you register for Wi-Fi every day, which can be annoying if you’re using your laptop for a phone call or video call, and then it drops.
This new feature is also a great way to encourage people to get IHG’s app, which I imagine is a big motivation for this innovation.
Bottom line
The IHG One Rewards app is now all that you need to connect to the Wi-Fi network at 5,000+ IHG properties around the globe. If you opt-in to the new IHG Wi-Fi Auto Connect feature, then your mobile device will automatically connect to Wi-Fi when you’re at any IHG property. Well done, IHG!
What do you make of this IHG Wi-Fi innovation?
This already happens all around the world with many global businesses - IHG is just catching up...
What about streaming devices? I travel with an Apple TV. I doubt it would qualify as a mobile device.
Other brands have been doing something similar for a long time.
IHG have had this for years (works really well) - I think they're just adding it it the app?
Reading this post while at IC Barclay, it autoconnected without me doing a thing. Phone and computer.
I have been using this feature for at least a year if not two, but most recently in Times Square NY IC they wanted to charge me $25 at checkout for wifi because "I did not use the code they gave me at checkin" I told them my phone connected automatically, at which they seemed to be surprised about first, then they canceled the charge.
My WiFi often seems to automatically connect anyway if I've stayed at another property with the same WiFi router name (like HHonors or MarriottGuest etc) unless I remove it from my saved WiFi networks list. It might ask my room number once and that takes all of 2 seconds. Not saying it's a bad thing they are doing this but it's not exactly groundbreaking either.
Not that I use it much but I'd say...
My WiFi often seems to automatically connect anyway if I've stayed at another property with the same WiFi router name (like HHonors or MarriottGuest etc) unless I remove it from my saved WiFi networks list. It might ask my room number once and that takes all of 2 seconds. Not saying it's a bad thing they are doing this but it's not exactly groundbreaking either.
Not that I use it much but I'd say the mobile key entry was a more notable innovation... I haven't started with IHG in a while but do they offer this? It'd be nice to see more hotels with fully integrated "smart" functionally such as controlling the lights, AC and even the coffee machine from your phone. I've been in a few that have attempted to integrate a few things (HGI was one I think) but it didn't work anyway. Of course that's a much bigger expense for the hotel
AM I the only paranoid one who always try to use connection codes and not name/room number so IHG does not track my usage?
Just use a VPN, best if with WireGuard protocol such as Mullvad VPN.
Just like Chromecast at Hyatt and Internet TV at Marriott, I'm sure this will be implemented seamlessly across the portfolio.
It's been that way for at least a few years. Don't need to enter any information and it remembers you from your account. I believe the only thing you have had to do is to click connect so maybe the auto connect feature saves that one click
Maybe they are adding this function to the app, but as you said, even without this new app feature, IHG members have been able to do this for years.