Not long ago, the most important piece of equipment travel industry executive Eric Mathiasen ever worried about taking on a trip was a paperback book or two. Now his carry-on is packed with a cell phone, a PDA, and a laptop with a built-in Ethernet jack and a Wi-Fi adapter.

In just a few years, hotels have seen more and more customers like Mathiasen walk through their doors. When Mathiasen heads out on business, he looks only for hotels that offer high-speed Internet access via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Hotel managers have learned to ignore his requirements at their own peril.

“For business travel, I’d be very willing to pay more for broadband access in my hotel room. It can save time and headaches to have easy access from my room, and for business travel, time really is money,” Mathiasen told us.

When asked how he’d like to see hotels improve their Internet services, he said, “Free access, where broadband becomes as ubiquitous as HBO or maybe even color TV.”

Now you don’t have to pay. Some of the biggest hotel chains are offering free high-speed Internet access as a way to keep customers coming back.

Read more: Broadband as Amenity >>