We’ve recently introduced a simple new way for rental property owners, such as Airbnb and Awaze rentals, to embed a live feed of their Wi-Fi performance into their listings, allowing potential visitors to check connectivity with one click before they book.
It’s got us all in the Epitiro office thinking, misty eyed, about the joys of travelling again – but also about how much our lives on the road are now unthinkable without Wi-Fi…
What? No Wi-Fi? No way.
As the world opens up again for foreign travel, the frenzy to find some Covid-less country and hot-list hotel or coveted country villa is high on everyone’s lunchtime Googling agenda.
Airbnb and Awaze have helped revolutionize how we choose work overnight stays, romantic short breaks and family holidays. It has introduced us to a world of undiscovered locations and surreal sleeping arrangements – from remote shepherd huts and teepee glamping to country castles, canal barges or even a rooftop play pad with a private hot tub, cinema room and pool table. Bog-standard hotels are so last year.
Far and aWi-Fi
But do you remember the days when planning a holiday or a business trip used to be so simple? The right place, the right facilities, the right dates and the right price. Book, pack, go.
Now you have to consider if it’s Insta-worthy and TikTok-able for your teenagers. What is the thread count of the sheets, does it have a Nespresso machine in the room and serve a low-carb, organic vegan breakfast option with a Peloton bike in the gym? And do they offer 100%, guaranteed, hi-speed, never-drop-out Wi-Fi connection?
If you’re looking to book your next short-haul business trip or long-haul holiday, we look at 10 things that could go wrong if you arrive at your dream destination and there is shock-horror – poor – or even worse – no Wi-Fi!
10 things that can go wrong travelling without Wi-Fi
1. Late or lost
Without the gift that is Google Maps, most of us would never get to the right place at the right time. We would miss flights, arrive late for board meetings or miss out on that Michelin star, once-in-a-lifetime 18-course tasting experience that you’ve been on a waiting list for over 12 months. Worse still, you could end up with a tantrumming toddler as you turn up just as his favorite Paw Patrol character leaves the stage.
Many people reading this will never have known the joy of rotating an Atlas on your knee while driving with a magnifying glass to be able to read the miniscule highway or intersection number or arguing that your co-pilot is, in fact, navigating you down the route of a river and not a motorway.
Pre-Google Maps and navigation apps, holidays never got off to the best start.
2. Grumpy, bored kids!
A working world without Wi-Fi is unthinkable. A holiday without Wi-Fi is hard. Being a parent to teenagers without Wi-Fi is unbearable. Being a parent to teenagers on holiday without Wi-Fi is not a holiday.
Can you imagine not being able to entertain the kids with on-demand, on-the-go online games, social media, films, eBooks or music? Doesn’t bear thinking about, does it? These days, a long car journey having a family sing-a-long or playing I spy doesn’t quite cut it. Been there. Done that. Got the look of dad disdain.
3. Packing faux-pas
We all rely on weather apps to plan our holiday itineraries, what to pack and whether to BBQ or not! Without Wi-Fi enabled weather updates, you may find yourself on a sunshine beach break in need of umbrellas and boots or up a mountain without sunscreen!
4. Missing last minute must-sees
And must-dos! Whenever you go away, someone always recommends a restaurant or a show or an event that needs to be on your itinerary. Or the big boss demands a prime table in the latest in-the-know cocktail bar to impress a client. Thanks to the wonder of Wi-Fi, you’ll never disappoint your CEO or humiliate your kids with FOMO.
5. Cut off from the world of work…and play
You may have put your ‘out of office’ on but let’s face it, we all sneak a peek even when we’re away don’t we? Whether it’s work or social, we all still cherry pick a few urgent work emails or respond to a friend’s birthday bash invite.
6. Divorce-worthy forgotten anniversary
There’s only one thing worse than being away with work on your wife’s birthday or wedding anniversary and that’s forgetting your wife’s birthday or your wedding anniversary while you’re away with work. Thanks to the tap of an app, same-day delivery flowers and chocolates saved the day. And my marriage.
7. Missing essentials
‘You said you were packing the kids’ meds, didn’t you?’ ‘How did you forget to pack the wetsuits… for our surfing holiday!!!’ ‘I think my contact lenses are still on the dining table back home’.
Sound familiar? Why is it we always leave behind the things we need the most? No problem. Wi-Fi delivers. Well, Amazon will.
8. Bills, bills and more bills to pay
You may be living it up on holiday or busy brokering a business deal but back home, there are still bills to pay! Swimming lessons, school fees, gym memberships, insurance to sort and credit cards to pay off. Thanks (grudgingly) to Wi-Fi, you still can make sure the bills don’t stack up and turn red ready for when you get home.
9. Swipe left – or right
A friend once told me that when he’s away on business, it’s nice to have company. Thanks to Wi-Fi, he’s never lonely. I believe the new lonely-hearts columns he uses are called Bumble or Tinder. Yes, it was a friend. Well, a friend of a friend!
10. Rebook it
Sometimes you find a place that you fall in love with. The trouble is, so has everyone else. At the touch of a Wi-Fi’d website or app, rebook it while you’re still there before someone else gets in first.
Thank Wi-Fi for that
Whether you’re looking for, or offering up, the perfect holiday destination, with Epitiro’a remote internet performance measurement tool, Wi-Fi connectivity can now be objectively checked in advance within a property listing to give ultimate peace of mind.
