Expensive Hotels and Costly Internet Access

Comments (scroll down to add your own):

1. I completely agree. I went to a developer’s conference at the Argent Hotel in San Francisco last year and they charged $14.95 per 24 hours of internet access. AND IT WASN’T EVEN WIRELESS!!! They provided a broken ethernet cable that barely reached to the bed, and I had to make sure I didn’t move to much or else risk pulling the cord out.

   You would think a hotel hosting 600 geeks would give some type of deal. However, the hotel is switching over to a Westin, so maybe things will improve. I won’t be going back to them anyway though.

   Comment by Clever Dude — Feb 1st 2007 @ 10:53 am

2. hahahaha I bitched about the same thing the last time I stayed at a hotel… nickel and diming me for stuff that should be “included.”

   Comment by jim — Feb 1st 2007 @ 11:12 am

3. My wife and I love using priceline for our vacations. We’ve gotten some incredible rooms at incredible rates that way. But we’re about ready to quit telling it we’ll take 4 star hotels and stick with the 3. Internet is extra ($10), parking is extra ($20), local phone calls might be extra (cellphones save the day). Heck you even get free breakfast at a lot of 3 star hotels which saves us plenty of money.

   Plus, my wife doesn’t care for the “floofiness” of some the more expensive hotels.

   Comment by Norm — Feb 1st 2007 @ 11:21 am

4. It bugs the crap out of me too! Even though my company will pay the extra charge for Internet access, I often choose less fancy hotels because I know I’ll save money. (And usually get free breakfast too!)

   Comment by Erica — Feb 1st 2007 @ 11:37 am

5. In November, I spent a week in the Albuquerque Hyatt grumbling about the same thing! Geez, if the Motel 6 can do it on $39 a night…!

   And be careful not to touch that $6.95 fancy bottle of water on the night stand!

   There’s an entire hotel economy making huge margins thanks to the “expense account.”

   Comment by geo — Feb 1st 2007 @ 3:31 pm

6. This is why we almost always try to stay at a Hampton Inn…free continental breakfast, and free internet.

   Comment by SteveK — Feb 1st 2007 @ 6:54 pm

7. Hello, found your blog through Consumerist.

   There are ways to get around having to pay for internet at hotels, depending on the type of authentication system the hotel uses. Many authenticate by MAC address, which is basically a “unique” identifier given to your network card. However, there are programs which will let you scan the network for other MAC addresses that are already authenticated. And then there are programs that allow you to spoof another MAC address (such as one of the ones found to be authenticated), so that the network will see you as a MAC address it has already authenticated. And voila, free internet!

   Comment by Liz — Feb 1st 2007 @ 10:02 pm

8. Yep, going after all the business travellors bucks that they can extract. Most companies have a limit on what they will pay for a hotel room. However, the “extras” can still be expensed, so there you have it. A hotel stay that would trip a $200 limit can become $230 with the extra internet/parking fees and not exclude a business travelor because of corporate spending limits or per diem limits.

   Sneaky? Yeah. Works? You bet!

   Except while the bay area was in melt-down, and you could pick up 5 star rooms for $80 a night in 2003.

   Comment by D — Feb 2nd 2007 @ 1:14 am

9. I stayed at the Marriot for a conference - and they do charge for their internet. However, if you join their miles program, the internet is free - and they will even credit the miles to any other program that you have joined already, so that worked out pretty well for me

   Comment by Sachin — Feb 3rd 2007 @ 2:57 pm

10. I always try to find hotels with free wifi or hotels that are near cafes that have free wifi.

    I agree that its highway robbery.

    Comment by Savvy Steward — Feb 3rd 2007 @ 4:50 pm

11. Fluffy Towels, upgraded bathroom amenities, upgraded beddings, free breakfst, free WI-Fi or high speed internet acess, free use of business centers, free parking most places……….stay at any of the following hotels…

    Best Western, Comfort suites, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inns.

    Thaye are as good as or better than 5 stars, unless you are looking for marble lobbies, high end bars and other frills.

    By the way no charge for pool/spa and fitness center with mileage rewards or points for the stay.

    HIHG END HOTELS=HIGHWAY ROBBERY

    Comment by Pravin — Feb 14th 2008 @ 1:09 am

12. I know this is old to comment on, but I must:

    To SteveK: I work at a Hampton Inn, am currently working the Night Audit this minute. Free internet, free breakfast, free bottles of water should you ask, and part of the Hilton group. Seriously, we rock. People whine about $89/night rooms in the winter, but don’t realize all the free ammenities available.

    Just thought I’d share some pride in the company I work for.

    Comment by Craig — Feb 26th 2008 @ 7:22 am

13. I always check to see what wireless signals are available before buying the hotel connection. At the Hyatt in New York, we were fortunate to be staying on the side of the hotel that had unsecured connections coming from nearby buildings.

    Sam thing was true at the Hilton in Seattle though I had to stay near the window. Hiltons do however offer a free signal in their lobby which is also handy to know if you are driving through a town, need to use the restroom and get online briefly.

    Kimpton has become a hotel chain we really like. They have free internet, free wine hour and animal print robes not to mention well decorated rooms.

    Has anyone noticed that the same trend with high end hotels is true of airports? Major airports like LAX, Boston and SFO don’t have free connections but small ones like Long Beach do. Does anyone know of a website that lists airports that have free WiFi? Some that I believe I have found connections at include Long Beach, Houston, Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale.

    One other tip with regards to airport WiFi is that you can usually get a free connection by going near the Continental Presidents Club. Probably true of other airline lounges but Continental has been the one I found that is usually unsecured.

    Comment by Troy Brown — Dec 6th 2008 @ 1:05 pm

Leave a comment