CY looking to charge for internet?
Apr 25, 2012 | 7:01 am
#16
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
I often have horrible connection reliability regardless of the property, from RC all the way down to Springhill. Rarely have I been able to stream video, I typically have to let it load and then come back to it. It baffles me that they want to charge those prices for something that will probably still be less than stellar. Do the math, if my cable company (which I already think is overpriced) charged $10/day for quality internet I would be paying ~$300/month. I am against all of these hotel/airline charges purely in principle.
Apr 25, 2012 | 1:35 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: halfway between JFK and LGA
Posts: 976
Just finished a survey about internet service at the CY and then they asked if I thought the following was a good value... Depends on what the speeds are and if they are not willing to post them, then no it is not a good value.
I will be pissed if they cap the free net and start charging for the crappy net they have now.
I will be pissed if they cap the free net and start charging for the crappy net they have now.
Apr 25, 2012 | 2:35 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Somewhere between Singapore and the US
Programs: Qantas Platinum, SQ Krisflyer PPS, UA 1p, Marriot Lifetime Platinum, American EXP
Posts: 989
I also saw this banner on Monday when I tried the CY Internet, but since the signal was so low I did nothing but free. After that I switched to my MIFI device which was much faster. I believe the prices were $7.95 and $9.95 in my case, did not notice if elites were free.
Apr 26, 2012 | 11:10 am
#19
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 74,159
I know CY Berlin is doing something like that. They offered free wired internet to everyone which I read from TA people said it's hopeless. They offer Gold/Plat wireless internet for free (I think it costs something like 9,90 EUR per day if you are not elite - sept 2011's price), which is pretty fast.
The possible scenario:
Guest A just doing normal email not using much bandwidth
Guest B streaming movies, etc, eating up a lot of bandwidth
Guest B gets a pop-up saying you've maxed out the bandwidth - if you want to continue using this amount, it will cost XX. If you don't want to pay XX, we'll drop you back to type of bandwidth Guest A has.
Anyway, something like that. It's been almost 2 years since I had the conversation w/ the GM of the property so I'm a bit fuzzy on the detailed logistics, and I don't know that it was ever implemented. I do know they were having to upgrade their servers because when a convention was in town they had a full hotel of biz folk all using i-net & things slowing down.
Cheers.
Apr 26, 2012 | 3:27 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: US CP, MR Plat, SPG Plat, HHonors Gold, National X
Posts: 917
After seeing this thread, i participated in the follow-up survey just to let CY know that charging for "fast" internet WILL affect my decision regarding staying in CYs in a strong negative way!!
I guess the best way to react to their plans at this stage is to raise our voice..
I guess the best way to react to their plans at this stage is to raise our voice..
Apr 26, 2012 | 8:28 pm
#21
Moderator: Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 13,645
I took this survey a week or two ago. My suggestions were to lower the price for the mid-tier and make the mid-tier free for Gold and Platinums.
I have no problem with Marriott charging for a "fastest" premium service.
I have no problem with Marriott charging for a "fastest" premium service.
Jul 16, 2013 | 1:34 pm
#22
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Just saw a report on Insiders that the Augusta, GA, CY still charges Gold/Plats for the hi-tier internet speed. Would say between no brekkie, no coffee & lower tier i-net, that's a property to drop from the stay list unless it's dirt cheap.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Jul 17, 2013 | 5:50 am
#23
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: USA
Programs: AA MARRIOTT Lifetime Plat Premier ; Marriott Vacation Club
Posts: 1,650
I think that what Marriott is exploring ( and likely other chains ) is the problem of bandwidth. Like all things, the Internet has evolved into something by which many users now DL/UL videos and other bandwidth-sucking content. This in turn slows down the entire network for all users.
I got my first hint of this problem a few years ago when we are staying at one of the Marriott timeshares in Spain where we own weeks. I had a great conversation with the resort GM who tells me one of his resort's big problems was the Internet which was free for all guests and owners. He talks about all sorts of usage and bandwidth issues and how his IT department struggles to accommodate all users. Folks DL videos/movies were sucking up the bandwith and stressing the resorts capacity to provide all guests with reasonably functioning network -- they had recently UG'd the network only to find that usage soon out-stripped IT's capacity again.
The GM was a techno sort of guy and had all sorts of numbers about what was going on. At that time he was only dialoging with corporate, but he did mention that ultimately he and the hotels were gonna have to come up with new approaches to the problem as things were only going to get more intense in the future. One thing he already knew from his own resort research was that a relatively smaller number of guests were sucking up the bandwidth. The problem is identifying those guests and partitioning them so that the general network can function. At that time I tell him the real solution is to provide a reliable (free) base connection for the bulk of guests and to steer the heavy users into a fee based for the bandwidth hogs ( we owners pay annual maintenance fees at our resorts & owners always want to keep cost/service in balance ). The GM laughs and says that I'm correct, but implementing such a solution is easier said than done.
Perhaps this day is looming for hotels and CY is one of the testing grounds for Marriott to address this issue. Once again, I'm an ordinary bandwidth user who doesn't DL movies etc. so all I want is a reasonably functional free connection. As to folks who need more bandwith -- perhaps the days of "unlimited limitless" Internet connectivity are numbered unless one antes up for the convenience.
Well that's my take on what I think Marriott might be pondering here.
barry
I got my first hint of this problem a few years ago when we are staying at one of the Marriott timeshares in Spain where we own weeks. I had a great conversation with the resort GM who tells me one of his resort's big problems was the Internet which was free for all guests and owners. He talks about all sorts of usage and bandwidth issues and how his IT department struggles to accommodate all users. Folks DL videos/movies were sucking up the bandwith and stressing the resorts capacity to provide all guests with reasonably functioning network -- they had recently UG'd the network only to find that usage soon out-stripped IT's capacity again.
The GM was a techno sort of guy and had all sorts of numbers about what was going on. At that time he was only dialoging with corporate, but he did mention that ultimately he and the hotels were gonna have to come up with new approaches to the problem as things were only going to get more intense in the future. One thing he already knew from his own resort research was that a relatively smaller number of guests were sucking up the bandwidth. The problem is identifying those guests and partitioning them so that the general network can function. At that time I tell him the real solution is to provide a reliable (free) base connection for the bulk of guests and to steer the heavy users into a fee based for the bandwidth hogs ( we owners pay annual maintenance fees at our resorts & owners always want to keep cost/service in balance ). The GM laughs and says that I'm correct, but implementing such a solution is easier said than done.
Perhaps this day is looming for hotels and CY is one of the testing grounds for Marriott to address this issue. Once again, I'm an ordinary bandwidth user who doesn't DL movies etc. so all I want is a reasonably functional free connection. As to folks who need more bandwith -- perhaps the days of "unlimited limitless" Internet connectivity are numbered unless one antes up for the convenience.
Well that's my take on what I think Marriott might be pondering here.
barry
Jul 17, 2013 | 6:26 am
#24
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Jul 17, 2013 | 8:50 am
#25
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I think that what Marriott is exploring ( and likely other chains ) is the problem of bandwidth. Like all things, the Internet has evolved into something by which many users now DL/UL videos and other bandwidth-sucking content. This in turn slows down the entire network for all users.
I got my first hint of this problem a few years ago when we are staying at one of the Marriott timeshares in Spain where we own weeks. I had a great conversation with the resort GM who tells me one of his resort's big problems was the Internet which was free for all guests and owners. He talks about all sorts of usage and bandwidth issues and how his IT department struggles to accommodate all users. Folks DL videos/movies were sucking up the bandwith and stressing the resorts capacity to provide all guests with reasonably functioning network -- they had recently UG'd the network only to find that usage soon out-stripped IT's capacity again.
The GM was a techno sort of guy and had all sorts of numbers about what was going on. At that time he was only dialoging with corporate, but he did mention that ultimately he and the hotels were gonna have to come up with new approaches to the problem as things were only going to get more intense in the future. One thing he already knew from his own resort research was that a relatively smaller number of guests were sucking up the bandwidth. The problem is identifying those guests and partitioning them so that the general network can function. At that time I tell him the real solution is to provide a reliable (free) base connection for the bulk of guests and to steer the heavy users into a fee based for the bandwidth hogs ( we owners pay annual maintenance fees at our resorts & owners always want to keep cost/service in balance ). The GM laughs and says that I'm correct, but implementing such a solution is easier said than done.
Perhaps this day is looming for hotels and CY is one of the testing grounds for Marriott to address this issue. Once again, I'm an ordinary bandwidth user who doesn't DL movies etc. so all I want is a reasonably functional free connection. As to folks who need more bandwith -- perhaps the days of "unlimited limitless" Internet connectivity are numbered unless one antes up for the convenience.
Well that's my take on what I think Marriott might be pondering here.
barry
I got my first hint of this problem a few years ago when we are staying at one of the Marriott timeshares in Spain where we own weeks. I had a great conversation with the resort GM who tells me one of his resort's big problems was the Internet which was free for all guests and owners. He talks about all sorts of usage and bandwidth issues and how his IT department struggles to accommodate all users. Folks DL videos/movies were sucking up the bandwith and stressing the resorts capacity to provide all guests with reasonably functioning network -- they had recently UG'd the network only to find that usage soon out-stripped IT's capacity again.
The GM was a techno sort of guy and had all sorts of numbers about what was going on. At that time he was only dialoging with corporate, but he did mention that ultimately he and the hotels were gonna have to come up with new approaches to the problem as things were only going to get more intense in the future. One thing he already knew from his own resort research was that a relatively smaller number of guests were sucking up the bandwidth. The problem is identifying those guests and partitioning them so that the general network can function. At that time I tell him the real solution is to provide a reliable (free) base connection for the bulk of guests and to steer the heavy users into a fee based for the bandwidth hogs ( we owners pay annual maintenance fees at our resorts & owners always want to keep cost/service in balance ). The GM laughs and says that I'm correct, but implementing such a solution is easier said than done.
Perhaps this day is looming for hotels and CY is one of the testing grounds for Marriott to address this issue. Once again, I'm an ordinary bandwidth user who doesn't DL movies etc. so all I want is a reasonably functional free connection. As to folks who need more bandwith -- perhaps the days of "unlimited limitless" Internet connectivity are numbered unless one antes up for the convenience.
Well that's my take on what I think Marriott might be pondering here.
barry
Jul 17, 2013 | 2:15 pm
#26
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One thing he already knew from his own resort research was that a relatively smaller number of guests were sucking up the bandwidth. The problem is identifying those guests and partitioning them so that the general network can function. At that time I tell him the real solution is to provide a reliable (free) base connection for the bulk of guests and to steer the heavy users into a fee based for the bandwidth hogs ( we owners pay annual maintenance fees at our resorts & owners always want to keep cost/service in balance ). The GM laughs and says that I'm correct, but implementing such a solution is easier said than done.
barry
They had upgraded their bandwidth but still was outpaced. He said they're able to determine which rooms/guests are using the most, and he had the idea for those to pay an additional fee vs. the average person & wanted my input.
I think he envisioned it (for example) that room 1 & room 2 are both online. Room 1 is doing email/average use of i-net. Room 2 is streaming film over VPN (or something bandwidth-hogging). Room 2 gets a pop up that says, you've exceeded capacity/level. If you wish to continue, click here for an additional charge of X. If Room 2 wants to continue w/ the hogging/higher rate, clicks & continues on merry way of hogging but paying for it. If doesn't want to pay, gets throttled back to normal bandwidth rate.
I have no idea if that's technically feasible (not sure if the GM knew either), but I liked the idea. The person who is hogging has the option of paying if he wants to continue hogging & the average person doesn't have to pay if he's not hogging.
Cheers.