A RIPON hotel expects turnover to rise more than 15 per cent after an IT upgrade transformed its WiFi access.

The 40-bedroom Ripon Spa Hotel ordered the upgrade after feedback from its business guests who make up 45 per cent of its turnover.

Samantha Thompson, managing director, said the new installation means WiFi can now be accessed in every part of the hotel, including its function rooms, bar, restaurant and conference facilities.

She said: "Customers rely on WiFi so much, whether they want to file reports, do research or read emails at the end of the day. We always ask guests to fill out a quick questionnaire while they check out and we knew the WiFi was an issue.

"The installation was made ahead of schedule and we can confidently say that the WiFi is seamless across the whole hotel.

"We’re due to take on another member of staff and I expect to see our turnover increase by at least 15 per cent this year as a result. We’re already getting great feedback from our business guests."

Lee Huck, director at Darlington-based Clive Owen Technology Services, said they were initially contacted to put the hotel’s booking system on the Cloud, before WiFi was tackled.

"They now have coverage absolutely everywhere," he said. "They can walk from the very top of the hotel down to the bar area and even onto the veranda and not lose coverage once. It will make a massive difference to the hotel and make them more business friendly."

The hotel, which was built in 1906, is in the ownership of the Hutchinson family, and Mrs Thompson’s mother, Georgie Curry, was the previous managing director of the hotel.

She said: "Between us we’ve run the hotel for 43 years. With the worldwide recession we’ve had a quiet six or seven years, but last year was excellent and with the new WiFi, we expect 2016 to be an even stronger year for us."