Gen Z & Millennial Business Travelers Say Bad Connectivity Ruins Hotel Stays
A new Cox Business survey highlights the obvious if your Wi-Fi and mobile coverage struggle, younger business travelers won’t come back. Here’s what stood out and how hotels can respond.
The quick take
That’s the headline. For Gen Z and Millennial business travelers, solid connectivity isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s table stakes for loyalty.
Why this matters for hotel leaders
These guests run work calls, stream content, sync files, and check in with family from the same room often at the same time. If coverage drops or speeds tank during peak hours, the guest remembers. And they book elsewhere next trip.
“Business travelers expect a seamless, connected experience.” — Jady West, VP of Hospitality, Cox Business
That expectation now extends beyond the room: lobbies, meeting spaces, elevators, pools, even parking areas. Dead zones anywhere on property are noticeable.
Action plan: turn the survey into wins
- Engineer for density. Design AP layouts for real-world device counts (phones + laptops + tablets) and streaming behavior, not theoretical lab loads.
- Eliminate dead zones. Site surveys, proper AP placement, and tuned transmit power beat “more APs” every time.
- Prioritize critical traffic. Apply QoS for video meetings and voice so Zoom/Teams stays smooth during peak usage.
- Backhaul that keeps up. If your WAN is saturated at 7 pm, guests feel it. Plan for growth with scalable fiber and redundant paths.
- 24/7 monitoring & support. Detect issues before the front desk gets calls. Alerting and automated remediation save CSAT.
How Hospitality Connection helps
We design and broker managed Wi-Fi, enterprise internet, TV, and VoIP packages with carrier-level pricing and hands-on escalation. Our focus is simple: no dead zones, no slowdowns, no surprises, so your property matches what Gen Z and Millennial travelers already expect.
Let’s fix the guest experience
Get a fast assessment of coverage, capacity, and backhaul. We’ll map issues, quantify impact, and recommend carrier options that hit budget and SLA targets.
Sources
- Cox Communications Newsroom: “Disconnected and Disappointed: Cox Business Survey Shows Poor Connectivity Undermines Hotel Stays for Gen Z and Millennial Business Travelers” (June 17, 2025). Read the release.
- Coverage summaries: Hotel Management (June 23, 2025) and Asian Hospitality (June 24, 2025) for additional context and industry reaction.