do you guys ever look before checking into a FS hotel that will charge for internet to see if there is a hotel next door that might have free wireless like a hampton/fairfield Inn? then ask for a room at the end of the FS hotel near the one with the free wireless?

I had this happen by mistake once and ever since then, found that often, I will look, identify a place, and ask for a room near that end of the FS hotel (nearest the free wireless) and 3/4 of the time I have free wireless..

just curious

btw, this is not a question on is this the morally right thing to do. I know its not but I don't care.

I've used wireless from a neighbouring lounge at some airports, but never had an
opportunity to use one from a neighbouring hotel.

while in US, I always have my sprint connection with me... so i'm
fine anyway

when flying an airline other than AA (I belong to the AC) sometimes I will go piggy back off of say a RCC or Prez club for example to get a connection if the airport doesn't offer a freebie

Always. And not always another hotel - there are often many access points to choose from.

But more often than not I just plug in my Treo. I'm in NYC and last night measured 1Mbps download throughput (via myspeed.com), so it's often faster than what the hotel offers. I don't think I've paid for in-room access since I bought it.

Last year at the Sheraton Salt Lake City, the Club Lounge overlooks the Best Western across the street and its free wi-fi came in pretty well in many parts of the Sheraton lounge. Gave me a good chance to demo to the Sheraton manager what benes he could provide in his lounge

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Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

I've never pro-actively requested a location of a room to get the neighboring hotel's WiFi. But I have used neighboring hotel WiFi before, just by happenstance.

I have been told however that sometimes unscrupulous hackers near hotels will assign SSIDs that give the appearance that they are someone who they are not (like naming their SSID "Hampton"). So some care should be taken with security when doing such things...even with something that looks like your own hotel's SSID.

Usually when I check in, I'm mainly more interested in getting an Suite or better room type upgrade, than location. But if offered an upgrade...I may take TrojanHorse's idea up, and ask if there might be one of these upgraded rooms down where I saw the Hampton Inn or whatever.

I used to try to finagle a room that would locate me reasonably close to free access, but I don't bother anymore since my BlackBerry lets me tether at 1Mb/s or greater downstream (EVDO). That's usually better performance than what I'd get over most hotels' wired or wireless connections.

I was staying someplace in Manhattan last year, and had 24 wireless signals, about half which were free. One was called something like F*** You name of the hotel $10 fee I was in, apparently somebody next door didn't like the fact the hotel charged for service.

I've done hotel to hotel a few times, usually because one location has it and the place across the street I'm staying at doesn't.

Stinks at Hamptons because you need the access code, but I've just walked up to the desk and asked for it more then once even if I was staying in the Embassy next door that didn't have it.

I was able to get a useble signal from a nearby BT Openzone site (a close Starbucks???) while staying at the Bristol in Vienna, while it wasnt free ( t-mobile customers get charged a fee more recently from BT) it was considerably cheaper than the 25 euro/day the hotel charges.

mike

I carry a card with an external attachable antenna just for this eventuality. In places like NYC, SFO, Chicago--can't tell you the last time I paid for wireless.

Which card do you use?

ORiNOCO 11b/g PC Card (Proxim Networks) and I carry an omnidirectional external antenna.

I've used a hotel's wireless outside in the parking lot to book that hotel on Priceline. It was the only one in that area, so I knew that would be the one that Priceline would come up with.