Fancy hotels and wireless internet
June 11th, 2007Can someone explain to me why I can stay at a Motel 6 for $40 a night and get free wireless, but when I’m at a Hilton that costs four times as much I have to shell out an extra $10 a day for high-speed internet?
Heck, if they’re going to charge me $10 a day for internet, I’d prefer for them to raise the rate $10 and not even tell me about it — the whole “ignorance is bliss” thing and all.
Same reason why they charge $20 for a hamburger from room service: most of their guests are business travelers who simply pass the charges on to their employer for reimbursement. It’s free money.
My main complaint is that the network performance in hotels is very, very bad. And it seems like the more the room costs, the slower it gets.
Now, Tim, if the Hilton doesn’t charge higher rates plus charge for Internet access, how else will Paris be able to live AND pay for her legal defense team?
Tim,
Thank you, I am glad that someone else has taken up the cause. That has been a mystery for a long time to me.
Paul
My husband and I were just discussing this very thing on our honeymoon, as we stayed at a Marriott that had an internet surcharge. We decided that the cheaper hotels offer it as a way to lure in business, but the higher end places don’t have the same need to cater to the everyday client when they get business clientele and famous people. It is highly vexing, but we managed to “borrow” wireless from the Krystal restaurant that happened to be a block away from our hotel.
YES! Couldn’t agree more. AND, the irony of it all, you pay $10-15 for it and it is horrible. If I am downloading something at one of these hotels, I typically get slower than dial-up speeds (about 5-10Kbps). That’s usually on a landline, don’t even get me started on the wireless.
When I have traveled with my family and stay at a value chain, connection always works great and is typically free.
there once was an Indian who made and sold clay jars. his son came to him one day and asked him, “father…why do we sell some jars for $5 and other jars for $10 when they are the same?”
the Indian replied to his son, “son…because some people want to pay $5 for their jars and other people want to pay $10 for their jars…”
my point…some people actually enjoy spending money…they value the ability to waste money…I’m serious…it’s one of my theories in life. I think it makes some people feel good about themselves to see a larger bill.
Another example would be free refills on pop…at Applebee’s they will refill your pop all night long…at a super fancy and expensive restaurant they charge you for another drink each time…they do that because some people enjoy larger bills. I’m serious.
Why not just stay at the cheaper Motel, save money and get free internet? If you don’t like the soup get out of the kitchen.
I have asked the same thing Tim. I’m with you.
Peter R is right. So many business travelers stay at the nicer hotels, and are required by their companies to access the internet while in the hotel. It is a reimbursible expense, the companies will pay it without question, so the hotels charge it. They charge for it, because they CAN charge for it.
I stayed in a Hilton in San Francisco two months ago, and when I checked out, I very kindly asked the clerk why less expensive motels offer internet for free, but Hilton charges for it. She didn’t bat an eye, saying, “I will just remove that charge for you.” I didn’t ask her to, but she did it for me.
Jesus said, You pay for internet service, because you do not ask for it for free. Or something like that.
Last year I ran into the same thing while staying atthe Sheraton Music City in Nashville. They charge $10 per day for internet service. That’s just highway robbery. There are 2 things I hate to pay for, internet access and parking. But that’s another post altogether.