Avoid Hotels That Don't Provide Free High-Speed Internet
Tuesday May 13, 2008
| Commentary | Most hotels in the U.S. have provisions for high-speed Internet access, via Ethernet cable, over Wi-Fi, or both. Years ago, such services were more expensive to set up and hotels often charged their guests an extra fee to use them. Thanks to dropping installation and support costs, there's no good reason why these services can be offered for free now. Some hotels I've visited provide at least free Ethernet hookups while still charging for Wi-Fi, which is a fair upsell strategy in my opinion.
One hotel I visited recently, however, charged a high fee for their in-room Wi-Fi and, even though the room had an Ethernet port that was functional in years past, it had apparently been disabled. The local business center charged similar fees (and even an additional one to use the printer!) Of course, the room (and the hotel's Web site) did not contain any documentation stating the costs for their Internet connection. My suggestion is to avoid doing business with hotels that do not provide at least one free high-speed Internet option and fully disclose their service fees.
How do you use Internet access at hotels? Do you agree hotels should be providing free high-speed Internet and have the ethical responsibility to disclose their fees?
Comments
I’ve been to many expensive hotels; they charge $5.00 per hour for using the internet while others similar hotel provide free internet for their guests. That’s the last time I told my wife to book on those kind of hotels.
Have stayed at several timeshare resorts throughout the US and find they must all be hooked into the same service. Their charges are outlandish in the condos at $9.99 for one day, $27.99 for three days, and $49.99 for seven days!! There is no need for these high costs. However, most I am familiar with do provide a small business office where one can use a free internet computer, but limited to 30 minutes only at a time…certainly not long enough to conduct business.
The vacationing and travelling public are being ripped off without a doubt.
What is one to do..when you know you must be connected for contact back home as well as conducting business transactions? These companies have the individual “over a barrel”.
Have stayed at Mariott and Springhill Estates over the past year and have had unlimited wi-fi usage. Have never been charged for internet usage except in an older motel one night.
Lee
The more you pay for a hotel, the less you get.
I do a lot of traveling, and found this to be true whether one is talking about newspapers, breakfasts, wifi, or HBO.
With the guest demand going up and up and up, the costs for hotels HSIA goes up and up and up. FatPipe allows the ability for giving access away for a period of time, whether 15, 30, or 90 minutes for free, then charge a minimal amount ($1.99 or more,etc.) and als the ability to charge for BW demands that may exceed the “expected” allotment of BW for a guest (after 256k, an option to get more BW, but charged a minimal amount as well). Some guests seem to eat up all of the BW, which hurts everyone. I don’t think a single guest or group of guests should be able to eat up all of the BW on youtube, slingbox, streaming video, etc. FatPipe is the inventor, multiple patents-holder and leader in the Router Clustering world. I have been in the hotel industry selling equipment for over 15 years and I appreciate the opportunity to give my side of the story. Have a great day.
I went to a Hyatt in Coral Springs, Florida (or around the area) and they charged 10$/night for wi-fi, at 500KB/s it was alright, but just like
Mark said:
The more you pay for a hotel, the less you get.
I do a lot of traveling, and found this to be true whether one is talking about newspapers, breakfasts, wifi, or HBO.
Exactly! Motels are good to stay in for a night or two, but they always give you free HBO, Wi-Fi, sometimes they have newspapers, almost ALWAYS a continental breakfast, idk…
I have seen some upscale hotels that charge $5.00 – $20.00 per night in addition to the guest room rate which I believe is insane. If they do that, they might as well charge for cable television in the guest room also since cable tv cost more per month than internet. I travel a lot with my laptop and I love to stay connected to the internet even while I am away from home. Any hotel that charges additional for internet access will not get my business because I know a bunch of cheaper hotels and motels where internet is included in the room rate and for me, it does not bother me staying at an average Joe motel just as long as it is clean and everything is working properly. Usually I would stay at a hotel such as the Super 8 Motel, La Quinta, Drury Inn (one of the few luxury hotels that have free internet), etc.