Get the Best Hotel WiFi
The situation is turning against road warriors looking for free hotel WiFi. What can you do? Where can you go?
HotelChatter has just published its annual hotel WiFi survey, and it is disappointing reading. As the website put it, “Instead of finding more and more hotels offering free WiFi, we are finding more restrictions are being added to free hotel WiFi.” The survey noted, for example, a trend toward free WiFi in hotel lobbies, but not in rooms, where it's Ethernet only - and at $9.95 to boot. Or you can get free in-room WiFi only if you belong to a hotel's loyalty program.
Given the trend away from free Wifi, where you can you go now? HotelChatter names the Marriott brands Residence Inn, Courtyard and Springhill Suites as the best. All have strong, free, fast, working wireless in the rooms and the lobbies, the report says. Other discount brands getting honorable mentions include Best Western, Wingate Inn, Days Inn, and Hampton Inn. But not every property has these features, so check it out before you check in.
Move up a notch on the hipness, design (and price) quotients and you can get free WiFi at André Balazs (Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles/Hollywood, Mercer and Hotel QT in New York)hotels and Jeff Klein properties (Sunset Tower in LA and City Club in New York).
Worst? Kor Hotel Group, Intercontinental, Four Seasons, Morgans, Marriott (flagship properties, including Ritz-Carlton brand).
Hat tip to journalist Amy Gahran – who tipped us off to the HotelChatter post.
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