I don't remember the last time I used a phone in my hotel room, either. In the days before cell phones, though, I remember a flat fee, usually, without the per minute charge. If you needed to call long distance, cheap phone cards were a good work-around, both here and abroad.

Fortunately, the conference call service we use has a web interface--between that over wi-fi, cell service, or Skype, I've been able to get something to work.