Latest hotel beef

My latest hotel beef is the one where you pay for WIFI...come on now, Starbucks has it free for a cup of Joe, for $300.00 a night, give us the damn WIFI.....I was reading reviews for the hotel on Yelp, and see other paying customers are mad as well.....anyone else feel this way.

Live consciously....

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I haven't paid or seen paid wi-fi in a very long time. Are these smaller hotels, or larger chains?
I spend 4-12 nights a month in hotels.

.
Mike T
Looking for shops in Western Canada

"Life is good because the alternative is forever "

Large chain with a great reputation and nice rooms....$300 per night, and 15.00 for WIFI in the room.

Live consciously....

Wow. At four large chains that I shop, my rewards card membership means I never pay for Wifi.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I stayed at an economy motel near a highway (not a shop) for less than $40 a night but the place was clean, offered a free continental breakfast, and free wi-fi. I stayed at a high-end hotel overlooking the ocean (for a shop) at around $600 a night. Of course the hotel was gorgeous but no free breakfast, not even coffee and no free wi-fi.

From my experience, I find that the high-end hotels/resorts nickel and dime you for everything whereas the less expensive hotel/motel chains give complimentary services.

Things that make you go hmmmm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

what chain is charging? All of IC's brands now must offer free wifi
(Holiday Inn, Hoiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Candlewood, Staybridge)
Only catch for them is you must be a member of their (free) rewards program to get it free

Marriott's business oriented lines are suppose to offer free wifi as well.
(Courtyard, Residence, Springhill, TownPlace and I believe Fairfield)

A few of Hyatt's lines are required to also.

With the exception of Motel 6(which charges) most of the value
chains have free wifi as part of their deal too.

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There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
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When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2013 04:01PM by techman01.

I stayed at a Marriott (I think it was) for $300 a night and they charged me $15 for WIFI. I was pretty ticked off!

I had my cable modem go out and needed to upload a video. I went to the local Hampton Inn [I'm a Hilton Honors member]. They let me use the business center at no charge.

.
Have PV-500 & willing to travel.
"Answers are easy. It's asking the right questions which is hard." (The Fourth Doctor, The Face of Evil, 1977)

"Somedays you're the pigeon, somedays you're the statue.” J. Andrew Taylor

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." Galileo Galilei

I got charged $14.95 for a 24-hour period at the Ritz Carlton. Since it was for a shop, I am getting reimbursed for the charge. But it was a waste of money either way because when I tried to log on to the Prophet system to at least start my report, they were down for maintenance. I could have just checked my e-mail on my Android phone.

Having a "resort fee" is pretty common now in the larger hotels and resorts.

I stayed in Atlantic City (not a shop) and I called to inquire about the wifi fee. The front desk said if I hooked my lap top up, I would be charged $14, no matter how long or little I stayed on there.

I told her thank you very much but I will NOT be turning on my laptop.

I used my Smartphone to read my emails.

Then, I went outside and was waiting for my ride, when a customer told me she sat on the bench, outside the hotel and used the wifi for free. Got love it

SunnyDays2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Having a "resort fee" is pretty common now in the
> larger hotels and resorts.
>
> I stayed in Atlantic City (not a shop) and I
> called to inquire about the wifi fee. The front
> desk said if I hooked my lap top up, I would be
> charged $14, no matter how long or little I stayed
> on there.
>
> I told her thank you very much but I will NOT be
> turning on my laptop.
>
> I used my Smartphone to read my emails.
>
> Then, I went outside and was waiting for my ride,
> when a customer told me she sat on the bench,
> outside the hotel and used the wifi for free. Got
> love it

Some of the ones that charge for wifi in the rooms or have a resort fee
do still offer free wifi in their public areas.

Also if you have a smartphone, then you can turn on mobile hotspot
and use your phones highspeed connection. Most current postpaid plans
now include the feature for free...

My experience is they still charge in the lobby, you can go through their service for a fee (usually 15.00) and give your room#, it will be added to your bill. I can't see them charging in one area, and not another...I'm talking about the hotel
in San Francisco. I also did a complete report at Starbucks in Vegas, because I refused to pay. Sounds like most have
experienced same as me.

Live consciously....

techman01 Wrote:

>
> Some of the ones that charge for wifi in the rooms
> or have a resort fee
> do still offer free wifi in their public areas.
>
I know enough about radio so I have to wonder how they can control which radio signal is where so the rooms don't get the free signal.

James Bond: That's easily done...They have connections in their
public spaces which are typically on the ground floor
that usually say hotelname_lobby or similar and that
ssid isn't seen on the room floors...I've seen this
at several resorts in the northeast recently...

A single router doesnt penerate many floors up in a hotel...
When I turn my mobile hotspot on it isn't seen throughout the hotel...
just my room and the few rooms around it

Irene_LA: If you stay at any of the Vegas casino properties im not aware
of single one that does not include the wifi in their resort fee, which you
have to pay if you are staying there anyway?

What I do find that they are now doing is they are giving "basic" wifi for free
that is included in that resort fee, then if you want faster wifi, you pay a small
fee to gain access to a faster connection...(more nickel and diming of course)

I beg to differ and have been going to Vegas since 1970. The Bally hotel (not a shop) does not have free WIFI, nor does it have a resort fee, but has well priced large rooms in their older tower and worth my stay while I am doing my regular shops (not hotels). I don't pay a resort fee, many hotels still don't have them. I actually got married in the Temple there, my ex was the Commercial Appraiser for Caesars Palace, and when I'm doing normal shops, not hotels, I stay at Bally's. The Timeshare (Wyndham) does not have it, and I can name many more which I have stayed at through the years. I did a Coyle job and the hotel had no WIFI, so you'd have to prove your info. with me...paying a resort fee is still paying, just saying.....

Live consciously....

Bally's in AC charges $13+ for 24 hours of wifi. At the 24 hour mark, you're cut off..unless you want to pay for it again. Starbucks is good for one or two fast reports, but I needed it for several reports and did not want to run back and forth to Starbucks so I went for it. Hey, my room was free though, so I can't complain.

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

MsJudi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bally's in AC charges $13+ for 24 hours of wifi.
> At the 24 hour mark, you're cut off..unless you
> want to pay for it again. Starbucks is good for
> one or two fast reports, but I needed it for
> several reports and did not want to run back and
> forth to Starbucks so I went for it. Hey, my room
> was free though, so I can't complain.

Thanks for posting this, I felt I was losing my mind.....yes, it gets expensive which is why I started this post.
Let's have names of hotels that have free WIFI, thanks....

Live consciously....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2013 02:57PM by Irene_L.A..

If I'm not mistaken all Hilton brand properties have free internet if you're an ATT internet customer.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

double post

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2013 10:27PM by techman01.

The Hyatt has free WIFI, my daughter treated me to the one in our town (not a shop) for my B-day and yes, free at the pool, lobby and in the room...kudo's to the Hyatt. I am a member of every hotel rewards program known to man, and they don't honor at the one that previously got me started on this thread. I'm done.

Live consciously....

Irene: When was the last time you stayed at Bally's? They charge an 18 dollar
resort fee per day now...Ceasars relented and decided to charge resort fees
at all their properties after previously pushing that they were better then the
others for not charging one...

Here is your proof that you need:

The only way you dont pay the fee is if you get certain comp'd rooms
and in that case you still get access to the things the fees include
"Room reservations are subject to a daily resort fee between $10 and $25 (plus applicable tax) to be added at check-in. Resort fee includes: daily in-room high speed internet access for one device, all local calls, and fitness center access for two daily (with the exception of the Quad). Resort fees not assessed for Platinum, Diamond and Seven Stars guests"

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2013 10:26PM by techman01.

You show the No. tower, I stay (comped) at the So. tower. I stayed there last Feb. visiting my sister who was at the Bellagio
and the business center charged a fee as Ms Judi stated above, and it seems she just stayed there....if they have free WIFI,
why did she pay $13.00+ for the service? The Marriott charges 15.00 for the service, I checked before declining a job.

Live consciously....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2013 10:33PM by Irene_L.A..

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You show the No. tower, I stay (comped) at the So.
> tower. I stayed there last Feb. visiting my
> sister who was at the Bellagio
> and the business center charged a fee as Ms Judi
> stated above, and it seems she just stayed
> there....if they have free WIFI,
> why did she pay $13.00+ for the service? The
> Marriott charges 15.00 for the service, I checked
> before declining a job.

They started charging the resort fees as of March 1st this year.
North, South, East, West...doesnt matter...18 a night...comped
or not unless you are platinum or higher level...

msjudi stayed in Atlantic City...not Vegas...
different competitive landscape...

though they started charging a 10 dollar a night fee
at the AC property recently...

I just spoke to Bally's and here is the deal......for an 18.00 resort fee you get to use the gym and wifi, otherwise, the pool is open to guests without a fee. I take this as charging to use wifi. Peace, I rest my case.....

Live consciously....

techman> ---"Also if you have a smartphone, then you can turn on mobile hotspot
and use your phones highspeed connection. Most current postpaid plans
now include the feature for free..."

I am so new to my smartphone features but thank you for letting me know this. I can now do this on the road too, as soon as I figure out how! lol

Irene: All the Station Casinos in Las Vegas have a $14 a day resort fee (maybe they call it by another name).

Actually, their "resort fee" might include "just being privileged enough to breathe their air"--and not much more....and may not even include the wifi fee, (internet access) which could be a separate fee, (I have seen this at the mega resorts last time I went hotel hunting)..

I recently read in the news that the Hi End Hotels are starting to cave on WiFi fees and many of them are abandoning those fees. But I am sure they will find some other lucrative and fancy named way to get your money instead.
I also stayed in a Marriott last month in Las Vegas but not near the strip and was able to use the business center computer for free, althou the connection was fairly sketchy so fortunately I was not there on a shop trying to input my report.

SunnyDays2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> techman> ---"Also if you have a smartphone, then
> you can turn on mobile hotspot
> and use your phones highspeed connection. Most
> current postpaid plans
> now include the feature for free..."
>
> I am so new to my smartphone features but thank
> you for letting me know this. I can now do this on
> the road too, as soon as I figure out how! lol

I am not sure about that. I have AT&T and iPhone5. I could not log in at Hilton and Embassy Suites on the AT&T Mobile hotspot, without signing up and paying a fee.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

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