I’m tired of upscale and luxury hoteliers trying to explain why it’s necessary to charge guests for high-speed Internet access. I’ve never talked to a business traveler who at some point in the conversation doesn’t bring up his or her hotel pet peeves, a list that’s almost always headed by hotels charging for Internet access.
Well, you don’t need to take my word for it, anymore. A new survey from D.K. Shifflet and Associates affirms my point of view: In a study of 400-plus business travelers, nearly 60 percent of them say they’re more likely to return to a hotel if it offers free Internet service. Free parking was a close second, followed by sound-proof rooms, smoke-free facilities and free breakfast.
Some hotel companies are beginning to see the light, although in small measures. Yesterday, for example, Hilton said beginning next month top-tier members of its Hilton HHonors program will receive free HSIA at all hotels in the company’s 10 brands. That’s a start, but Hilton and every other hotel company need to institute free Internet now. Everyone mocks the airline industry for its new-found passion for nickel and dimeing customers. The hotel industry shouldn’t fall into that trap.
Quit Charging Guests for Internet Access
5 Responses to “Quit Charging Guests for Internet Access”
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It is ridiculous to charge guests for the Internet. As a B&B and Hostel we offer free internet access either through wifi or guest computer. Our town of Breckenridge also has wifi in offering our lucky visitors hot spots all over town. It is one of our selling points which we would loose if the big hotels go for the free access but there you go. For once B&B’s are ahead of the game!
I agree it is rediculous that one can go to McDonald’s or Hardee’s and get Free Wi-Fi but stay at an upscale hotel and they want to charge you $9.99 or more for it. Lets get serious, in this day and age it should be standard just like shampoo and soap.
I’ve just returned from a 3 week driving tour of Pennsylvania. Every motor inn we stayed in provided free internet access: Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn, Super 8, Fairfield Inn and Crowne Plaza. My full report will be found on Hotel Online later this month.
I just returned from a three-week driving tour in Pennsylvania. All the motor inns we stayed in provided free internet access: Hampton Inns (2), Comfort Inns (2), Sleep Inn, Super 8, Fairfield Inn and Crowne Plaza. Since the use of wi/fi has become so common, all hotels should provide free access. Remember when hotels charged for the use of the room TV?
Stanley Turkel
Of course guests want free internet, but the bigger question is what exactly does “free Internet” mean to a guest? More to the point may be what does the term “high speed Internet” mean? Most free internet access I run across in hotels tends to significantly underperform my home or office connection. As a business traveler, I need serious bandwidth for research and communication. There is nothing more frustrating than having to go to dinner or a watch a movie while my email downloads over the usual “free” connection. The bigger question that should be asked is “what are traveler’s expectations when it is free and what are the expectations when there is a charge?” Bandwidth is not free, connection speed is not free, why should internet access be free? Comparing the demands placed on the Internet at a hotel with 150 rooms or more, where a DS-3 and a very sophisticated wireless network may be required, to providing the same service in a lovely B&B in Breck where a cable modem pumping out 2 – 3 Mbps and a single WiFi access point or two may suffice, is not realistic, even on a per room capital and op ex basis. With downward pressure on rack rates and occupancy where it is, how does a hotelier win? So I would be interested in people’s thoughts on this: If the internet is free, what expectations does everyone think the guest has in terms of speed (nobody gets 6 Mbps at home for free, why do they expect it at a hotel?)? Should a tiered service be available, (i.e. lower speed and bandwidth for free and higher speed and bandwidth for a reasonable fee)? Is there a price guests are willing to pay for a reasonable connection to the Internet (2 – 4 Mbps for $4.95 per night)? It seems to me it is a value proposition that has never been properly examined or promoted to the guest (the value of true high speed internet connections). Without an impact on rack rates, which is not all that ralistic given the current environment, is it realistic to expect an “at home or office” interenet experience in a hotel?