Hilton HHonors - Broadband at all HGIs by 2004

Interesting aside in the latest HHonors email newsletter just received:

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
The hotel (HGI Arlington Courthouse Plaza) opening celebration will include a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony and the announcement of complimentary high-speed internet access included in all Hilton Garden Inn hotel guestrooms by the end of 2003 -- making complimentary high speed internet access a brand standard.</font>

Having free DSL is a pretty strong selling point to me...that, plus my nationwide cellular plan, gets me out of the phone charges trap which is the subject of a separate thread in this forum!

Aloha.

HGI continues to show why it is the best "budget" national chain.

Thats great news if it actually happens. So far I have come across at least 4 HGI's with free broadband access.

MisterNice

Just stayed at a HGI (Richmond, VA) that installed "high speed". They had a big sign at the front desk about the free service.

I gave it a try and it was twice as slow as dial up http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

I told the front desk mgr. and they confirmed many complaints coming in but they still left the sign up.

I was just at the AUS Aboretum HGI, the broadband was great, tehy tried to make up for it on the telephone charges. I "happeded" to notice two $6.95 charges for 800 number access.

The charges were promptly removed when I asked that they be reduced to $1.00 or so.

I agree that HGI is one of the best chains around. I love the rooms, the fridge, and the HS is great when it's there. I've stayed several times at the HGI Plymouth MI and have not only been charged for HS access, but have to call the desk for an access code. "Please sir, may I have HS access in my room?" In Mississauga, ON it was free. Stayed this week at the HGI Chicago downtown and although they had a cable plugged into the wall and I was assigned an IP address, the system didn't work. The front desk told me they had no provider at the moment (I got the sense that meant no one to manage billing, since I was able to get an IP but couldn't access the web) but I could use the business center on the 12th floor for free access. Not the most convenient solution. I think HS should become a standard at all business hotels. Amortized across a large number of rooms, the access cost isn't that great and could easily be covered by room charges.