I’m sitting here writing this post in a rocking chair at the Charlotte, NC airport while enjoying free Internet service. It’s great. I love it! But it got me to thinking about the last three days.
I ‘m returning home from attending a hotel conference in the Bahamas earlier this week where I stayed at a branded business hotel.
When I checked into the room last Sunday I discovered the Internet service cost $20 per day! That came out to almost 10% of the room cost. Yikes! An unadvertised special. Executives and leisure travelers were allowed one free hour a day of wireless access…in the lobby.
It was almost comical seeing all those high powered executives in the lobby tapping away frantically trying to get as much done as possible before the hotel shut off their one hour of service. I’m sure they or their companies could have paid the $20/day for the in-room service. My guess is they, like me, just didn’t think it proper.
As I sit in the comfort of my airport rocker I have to admit it makes me think even less of the hotel than I did when I checked out. Hotels that charge exorbitant prices for services other companies offer for free has got to take a financial toll in lost revenue and bad word-of-mouth. Especially when people can provide hotel reviews on TripAdvisor for the world to see.
With so many hotels (airports and coffe shops, etc.) offering free Internet access – what would your opinion be of a hotel that charged $20/day? Let me know.
January 16, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Paying for Internet access is awful, not only that it slows down the process making it cumbersome and time consuming. Especially grating are private providers who require that you enter in all your credit card information. You are a freaking hotel, get an integrated system. Or, better yet just buy some wireless routers.
And don’t even get me started on hotels that don’t have outlets near the desks or that charge $20 for grilled cheese.
January 16, 2008 at 10:58 pm
$20 a day for internet access is too much. I think that internet access should be complementary or much less expensive, especially at a hotel that wants to brand itself to business travelers. Free internet access seems like an inexpensive way add value for the guests. It looks like this hotel could use your company’s services!