[naessensp2]

yes, free wi-fi does influence my hotel choice!

[dpym786]

Do wifi charges influence your decision when choosing a hotel?

A: yes, without question

Do you see free wifi as a necessity or a luxury that should be awarded to loyalty scheme members?

A: Again yes

Are you happy so long as there is free wifi in the hotel’s public areas?

A: no, although it is better than nothing. Most Frequent Travelers are on business. I want to spread out papers, deal with telecon etc and work at same time

When a hotel brand charges over £10 for wifi, does it affect your impression of that brand?

A: To me it identifies a brand only interested in the bottom line and not servicing their clients. Interestingly my experience in Europe and Asia is that even econo hotels are offering free WiFi and that it is the International Brands that do not. I stay at both and am upper tier in 3 well known brands

And when you are offered the choice to pay more for more bandwidth, do you do so?

A: No – just another way to gouge you

[lgreenway]

for the money we pay for the room with usually no other amenities……..free wifi for sure.

[RHMAngel]

@Ian

re Pool/leisure Tokyo business hotels, yet to stay in a central one that didn’t charge 😡

As to above, yes it does make me think less of the brand. But regardless of the major city I an doing biz in, I like to get out evening meal not stick to the hotel (not least having had breakfast there) and invariably I find free wifi ‘on the street’ or as I say, major drinks/food chain.

It’s when I stay in cheaper hotel chains with friends & sport that it amuses me the night is possibly 60-70% cheaper than any biz hotel but I nearly always get free wifi. Europe and US – that’s when it amuses me. But I don’t find it funny when away on biz, that’s not so funny then.

Like water in your shower wifi is a must !!

[Cedric_Statherby]

I am reviving this thread because I am astonished to find, four years after we all expressed such annoyance at the idea of charging for WiFi, that it still goes on. I have just looked at hotels in Hong Kong and all the major business hotels charge.

Some observations:

1. The cheaper the hotel the more likely it is to be free.

2. Some hotels seem to have free WiFi in the public areas and charge for it in the rooms (which does not make sense to me)

3. One hotel offered a “buy in advance” package, with the implied threat that if you tried to sign up when you got to the hotel it would be even more expensive.

Is this a regional thing? It does seem to be especially Asian hotels that still charge for WiFi access – do they do so simply because their competitors do?

[ViajeroUK]

I consider free wifi a must have in the room.

A few years ago, at a chain where I did have some status I was asked to pay. The reason being to recoup installation costs, I pointed out that I do not use in room TV or telephone so the costs of those installations could be offset for my wifi use, after some discussions between reception and back office I received my free wifi. That particular chain provided it for free for loyal guests the following year.

I have found that in many Latin American countries free wifi in room is very much the norm, not sure about 5* hotels as I rarely use them.

[PeterCoultas]

Hotels need to cover their expenses….for beds, tv in room & salary for a decent receptionist, etc etc….that is normally in the price or we could stay there for free!
Also NOW in the modern world internet access, a decent kettle and tea/coffee should be part of the base price like a decent shower and toilet facility ! Room service I still see as an extra but that is about it!

My big gripe with some chains (Accor for e.g.) is that you don’t know where you are – in one country they provide kettles/tea/coffee in room but in the next they don’t….why pretend to be a “Brand” if you are not!

[GivingupBA]

Free wifi in the room, to me, is an absolute necessity in costly hotels. If they don’t have it, or advertise it but then the free option is too slow or has breaks, I avoid that hotel [and usually chain] in future .

Free wifi only in the hotel’s public areas is unacceptable to me. I want it in my room.

[MrMichael]

I will not book a hotel that does not as a minimum have free wifi in public areas. I prefer if in the room too and if staying more than a night will require wifi in room. I do not object to paying in room wifi costs if it is fast and efficient. I use Premier Inn a lot in the uk and am happy to pay for in room wifi as I always find it fast and efficient. If I am paying more than say £140 a night I would not expect to pay for in room wifi. It is true that smaller hotels often offer in room wifi for free, but I have found in too many cases it is woefully slow, reminds me of my old dial up connections from the last century.

[richardofFrancepp]

Accor chain is particularly inconsistent. Not just in charges, but overall quality.

[StewartK]

The Marriott chain have been gradually relaxing their approach to charging for all wifi. Now, it’s usually free in Exec Rooms and free of Rewards card holders in most properties. Speed is highly variable – in some properties as a Gold Rewards card holder I’m given ‘premium connection’ access. This in itself is no guarantee of high speed. Last week at the Marriott Astana the ‘premium’ speed was insufficient to access some websites.

[Speedbird189]

Yes, I feel free wifi is nowadays very much part of the hotel experience. It is not a hope, but rather an expectation, that hotels will offer free wifi. Internet is key to many people’s lives.

[TominScotland]

Funny that this thread is active again just as I am in the middle of a couple of days walking in the West Highlands but need to participate in a timed Skype conversation with the US and Oz tomorrow. Thank goodness the Bridge of Orchy Hotel offers free wifi in public places so soup, sandwich and Skype it will be.

[canucklad]

Two things that gets my gander up……

Hotels that stream their TV channels, and even worse woefully bad and still charge you for WiFi.. And worse hotels that offer complementary WiFi at snail pace and then have the audacity to blackmail you into purchasing their torturous tortoise speed WiFi.

In the age of SkyGo and BBC iPlayer I’d have thought a decent WiFi connection would come as standard.

By the way Tom, I can highly recommend the Cullen Skink at The Bridge of Orchy Hotel . Nowhere near as good as The Station hotels in Portsoy, but still scrumptious.

[StewartK]

…best Cullen Skink (apart from my Peterhead granny’s) was at Banff Springs Hotel.

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