Doesn't matter if it's a local call or not, it matters what the hotel rates are. If they charge for local calls, they charge for local calls. If your call was long distance, that's a totally different issue, and the rate will probably be much higher.

You also don't say how long the call was for, or if it was indeed a local call or a long distance call. Same area code means nothing to see if it's local or long distance.

The lower rate for the first 30 or 60 minutes, than a much higher rate for anything after that is a holdover from the dial up modem days, to prevent people from tying up a line for hours and hours with a computer. They held, because they are very profitable.