If you're staying at a hotel and using the Wi-Fi, you may be wondering if the hotel can track which websites you visit. The short answer is: Yes, hotels can easily see the sites you visit over their networks unless proper precautions are taken.

When you use a hotel’s WiFi in 2026, the hotel's network administrator (or the third-party service they hire) can generally see the IP addresses of the websites you visit and the amount of data you are consuming. However, because most modern websites use HTTPS encryption, the hotel cannot see the specific pages you are viewing, the text you are typing, or your login credentials. For example, they might see that you are on "https://www.google.com/search?q=Google.com," but they cannot see what you are searching for. To ensure total privacy, you should always use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN encrypts all your traffic before it even leaves your device, meaning the hotel will only see that you are connected to a VPN server, with zero visibility into your browsing history or app usage. Additionally, using a VPN protects you from "Man-in-the-Middle" attacks, which are a common risk on public, unsecured hotel networks.