Hotels Without Free Internet - Page 2

elemenoP · 11-17-2011, 07:43 AM

Oh, I guess I have lavish taste in hotels then!! We usually stay at the Hilton, Marriott, etc. I have always found that we had to pay for internet (and often it's wired internet!). I would choose not to pay for it, but my husband gets the shakes if he doesn't have access. I would also rather not have a TV when on vacation, but that doesn't happen either.

eP

elemenoP · 11-17-2011, 07:44 AM

(wow, look at my karma! who did that?)

CRussel · 11-17-2011, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Oh, I guess I have lavish taste in hotels then!! We usually stay at the Hilton, Marriott, etc. I have always found that we had to pay for internet (and often it's wired internet!). I would choose not to pay for it, but my husband gets the shakes if he doesn't have access. I would also rather not have a TV when on vacation, but that doesn't happen either.

eP

Major expensive chains (such as you describe) are just about the worst for charging for Internet. The exception I've found is Fairmont. There, if you're a member of their affinity program (President's Club), Internet is free. And since there are no minimum stay requirements, or cost, to joining the program, it's an easy solution. Oh, and I really like their hotels.

No TV is an easy choice. I never turn it on, vacation or business. I'm so spoiled by watching TiVo at home that I just get really annoyed with regular TV so avoid it.

Apache · 11-17-2011, 08:58 AM

Not only is it the cheap motels that have free Internet, but the mid range that cater to business travelers also usually have free Internet.
Apache

tubemonkey · 11-17-2011, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

(wow, look at my karma! who did that?)

It's hard to read. It needs commas: 10,0,00,00

HarryT · 11-17-2011, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Oh, I guess I have lavish taste in hotels then!! We usually stay at the Hilton, Marriott, etc. I have always found that we had to pay for internet (and often it's wired internet!). I would choose not to pay for it, but my husband gets the shakes if he doesn't have access. I would also rather not have a TV when on vacation, but that doesn't happen either.

eP

If you stay there regularly, though, their "loyalty" schemes do get you free internet. I work away a lot and always stay in the Hilton. Once you become a "gold" member of their loyalty club, you get free internet (as well as lots of other free stuff).

SeaBookGuy · 11-17-2011, 01:00 PM

I believe the reason the higher end properties charge for it is a mindset of "businesspeople can 'expense' it".

The last place I stayed (a Doubletree in Hawaii) I had free internet from my Hilton status, but the connection was S-L-O-W - I hadn't seen anything that bad since the last time I'd used dial-up years ago.

HarryT · 11-17-2011, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I believe the reason the higher end properties charge for it is a mindset of "businesspeople can 'expense' it".

The last place I stayed (a Doubletree in Hawaii) I had free internet from my Hilton status, but the connection was S-L-O-W - I hadn't seen anything that bad since the last time I'd used dial-up years ago.

The Hilton that I stay at most weeks actually has an absolutely excellent Internet connection; I guess it must depend on the individual property.

DixieGal · 11-17-2011, 02:53 PM

It is soooo expensive to buy internet in Germany. At all of the hotels where we stayed, it was €5 or €8 per hour. You learn to stretch that 60 mins over 2 or 3 days by downloading and reading offline, etc.

In the US, I always have my mifi mobile 4G hotspot. If the hotel has bad internet, I simply use my own network. But honestly, when the 2 year contract expires, I may not renew it. Free wifi is so widespread that it does not make sense for me to keep it just for travel. I enjoy being with people at Starbucks or McD's, so I am not necessarily concerned if the hotel does not have free wifi.

Andrew H. · 11-17-2011, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Me too. It's one of the features I look for when I book a hotel. And as others have noted, it's often the more expensive hotels that charge a fee. Weird.

A lot of those hotels cater to people who aren't paying their own bill. That's the reason.

While the cheaper hotels focus more on vacation travelers who definitely will choose a hotel based on free wifi. I always look for that, and it's usually featured pretty prominently by the hotel.

JSWolf · 11-17-2011, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdjack21

Most hotels I've been in WiFi in the lobby/public areas of the hotel is free. But WiFi in your room you pay for. So I just grab a drink and sit in the lobby to do my computing work when traveling. Or even better yet when I stayed at the Out Rigger in Waikiki this summer I just sat in the open air restaurant and did my email and such with the beach about 50 feet away again for free.

Most hotels I know of have free wifi. Some of them it's crap. I was at the Swissotel in Talon the end of October and they have quite good free wifi.

elizilla · 11-17-2011, 06:42 PM

I've noticed that more expensive hotels are more likely to charge for it, too. My theory about that used to be that they were the early adopters, and they signed contracts for it, that were based on the idea they'd charge for it, and now they've got this contractual expense in their business model. And for your money, you get some kind of minimal IT support, there's an 800 number to call if it's not working, a company whose job it is to maintain the equipment, etc. I'm not saying they do it well, but they at least have a plan for something besides dumb looks from the clerk at the front desk when the internet doesn't work. Lately, though, this style of internet service is becoming more common with the free hotel internet, too, at least in the midrange places. So those vendors must be coming down in price, or the hotel industry is getting adjusted to them just as a normal infrastructure cost, or something.

Meanwhile the cheap mom-n-pop motels jumped on the bandwagon after the decision makers started getting broadband at home, and they discovered that they could get the equipment for $50 and have their 14 year old kid set it up for them, and they can hook it into their cable tv for hardly any more money per month. They can pay a fixed monthly price for a barely adequate pipe, and since it's "free" it need not be reliable.

SeaBookGuy · 11-17-2011, 07:05 PM

I've found that not necessarily so -- free access in cheaper brands has been as good as, if not better than, the expensive stuff.

captkjaneway · 11-17-2011, 07:34 PM

It varies country to country in my view - Japan I have had to pay for internet access bothin Tokyo and Osaka, in India I paid for it in Delhi but across China - Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou it has been free, the same in Seoul but I believe a lot of Hong Kong hotels also charge.

Pinecone · 11-17-2011, 07:47 PM

Marriott and Hyatt also provide free internet to premium level members of their loyalty clubs.

And as bad as it seems in the 1st world, try the 2nd and 3rd world. I have seen daily internet fees of over $30.

11-17-2011, 06:42 PM	#27
elizilla Addict Posts: 271 Karma: 610286 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Michigan, USA Device: Kobo Elipsa, Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Sage, others	I've noticed that more expensive hotels are more likely to charge for it, too. My theory about that used to be that they were the early adopters, and they signed contracts for it, that were based on the idea they'd charge for it, and now they've got this contractual expense in their business model. And for your money, you get some kind of minimal IT support, there's an 800 number to call if it's not working, a company whose job it is to maintain the equipment, etc. I'm not saying they do it well, but they at least have a plan for something besides dumb looks from the clerk at the front desk when the internet doesn't work. Lately, though, this style of internet service is becoming more common with the free hotel internet, too, at least in the midrange places. So those vendors must be coming down in price, or the hotel industry is getting adjusted to them just as a normal infrastructure cost, or something. Meanwhile the cheap mom-n-pop motels jumped on the bandwagon after the decision makers started getting broadband at home, and they discovered that they could get the equipment for $50 and have their 14 year old kid set it up for them, and they can hook it into their cable tv for hardly any more money per month. They can pay a fixed monthly price for a barely adequate pipe, and since it's "free" it need not be reliable. Last edited by elizilla; 11-17-2011 at 06:45 PM.

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11-17-2011, 07:43 AM	#16
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	Oh, I guess I have lavish taste in hotels then!! We usually stay at the Hilton, Marriott, etc. I have always found that we had to pay for internet (and often it's wired internet!). I would choose not to pay for it, but my husband gets the shakes if he doesn't have access. I would also rather not have a TV when on vacation, but that doesn't happen either. eP

11-17-2011, 07:44 AM	#17
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	(wow, look at my karma! who did that?)

11-17-2011, 08:58 AM	#19
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,279 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Not only is it the cheap motels that have free Internet, but the mid range that cater to business travelers also usually have free Internet. Apache

11-17-2011, 01:00 PM	#22
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,029 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	I believe the reason the higher end properties charge for it is a mindset of "businesspeople can 'expense' it". The last place I stayed (a Doubletree in Hawaii) I had free internet from my Hilton status, but the connection was S-L-O-W - I hadn't seen anything that bad since the last time I'd used dial-up years ago.

11-17-2011, 02:53 PM	#24
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	It is soooo expensive to buy internet in Germany. At all of the hotels where we stayed, it was €5 or €8 per hour. You learn to stretch that 60 mins over 2 or 3 days by downloading and reading offline, etc. In the US, I always have my mifi mobile 4G hotspot. If the hotel has bad internet, I simply use my own network. But honestly, when the 2 year contract expires, I may not renew it. Free wifi is so widespread that it does not make sense for me to keep it just for travel. I enjoy being with people at Starbucks or McD's, so I am not necessarily concerned if the hotel does not have free wifi.

11-17-2011, 07:05 PM	#28
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,029 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	I've found that not necessarily so -- free access in cheaper brands has been as good as, if not better than, the expensive stuff.

11-17-2011, 07:34 PM	#29
captkjaneway Cockney Sci-Fi Geek! Posts: 472 Karma: 1463094 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wan Chai, Hong Kong Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Samsung Tab S 8.4", Samsung S6 Edge	It varies country to country in my view - Japan I have had to pay for internet access bothin Tokyo and Osaka, in India I paid for it in Delhi but across China - Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou it has been free, the same in Seoul but I believe a lot of Hong Kong hotels also charge.

11-17-2011, 07:47 PM	#30
Pinecone Guru Posts: 902 Karma: 1660722 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Maryland Device: PRS-650, PRS-600, PRS-350	Marriott and Hyatt also provide free internet to premium level members of their loyalty clubs. And as bad as it seems in the 1st world, try the 2nd and 3rd world. I have seen daily internet fees of over $30.

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