Anyone else hate paying for internet??
 

I find it rather ridiculous that the 'low scale' properties (Fairfield, SpringHill, Courtyard, etc) offer free internet, but the ones that charge you more for the room, also charge for internet.

Anyone else find it annoying to pay for internet??

And dont even get me started on parking :mad: Unless it is NYC or somewhere with absolutely no room, just include parking in what you're charging me for the room.

Yes, it is most annoying. :mad:

Free Wi-Fi would be one of the best elite benefits that would put Marriott ahead of its competitors, and would encourage customers to book the more expensive city properties instead of Courtyards/RIs.

As it stands now, many of the Hyatts and Hiltons where I have stayed provide free internet access in the business center, which is more than sufficient to check email and print boarding passes. IMO, Marriott is actually at a competitive disadvantage here. :(

Apparently, some Marriott/Rens are providing free hs internet. The Greenville SC Marriott provides complimentary hs internet. Interestingly, the Ren Paris Vendome advertises free hs internet on its website page, but when I attempted to login while staying at the hotel a few weeks ago, I was required to click on a button listing a ridiculous charge (I thing about 25 Euros per day.) When I complained to the front desk that I thought the internet was free, the clerk acted surprised and asked where I got that information. I said on the hotel's website. The clerk said he had to speak to somebody, then came back to the phone and told me it would be taken off my bill, but the hotel had just instituted the charge. (Then, after I logged on, I visited the hotel's webpage at marriott.com and, sure enough, it still listed free hs internet.) I just checked the website again as I'm posting this, and it says "complimentary hs internet".

To answer your question, for whatever reason I absolutely resent being charged at a full service Marriott or Ren for hs internet.

I don't care about Internet charges. If I'm traveling on business, I just expense it. If I'm traveling for pleasure, I won't be paying for a full-service property (waaaaaaaaaaaaay too expensive), so I'll end up at one of the lower-end properties that does have free Internet.

It is ironic to me that the "high end, high price" properties nickel and dime you with Internet fees and parking charges...i mean, if they charge $179 a night or $249 a night or $329 a night, do they really need to - want to - antagonize the guests with a separate $9.95 internet fee? I just don't understand this...

Also, I stayed in Rochester (I think) at the Marriott, and the high speed internet was free, but they didn't have the all-you-can-use free phone deal...so be careful when you start making unlimited calls from your room.

I don't know...I've never paid for 'Net access out of my own pocket at a hotel before, so this issue doesn't register highly with me.

Most important to me: I want good, reliable access when I'm on a business stay, because I'm usually using it extensively to work in the evening. In most cases, I'd rather have a solid wired access than anything. I don't care if it's ten bucks a day (hey, there's another 150 Marriott points!) as long as I can plug it in and be rolling in seconds.

Parking charges only bug me if it's a suburban/rural hotel that has plenty of parking. If it's an urban hotel with limited onsite parking or valet-only, I kind of understand why they have to charge for it.

The biggest pet peeve of mine is the "energy surcharge". This should be illegal - period. The logical extension of the energy surcharge is that my expectation at booking-time was that of a hotel room that has no electricity. That is nonsensical. If a hotel is faced with higher energy costs, then they should raise the room rates - not attempt to sneak in a dishonest charge after the fact.

Totally agree
 

I am with you totally. Even though I don't pay for internet as I get to expense it to work I find it so frustrating that they charge for it. Especially $10 as the cost of internet is just not this expensive.

Parking is another stupid charge! I stay at the Del Mar Marriott regularly and it's not as if land is an issue here like in NYC or something.

Keep ppl happy since we're paying enough for the rooms as it doesn't actually cost anything to upkeep a car park does it.

I too disagree with the $10 internet charges, just put it in the room rate.

There was a recent story (USA Today I think) that said the charges at properties located downtown were typically older and built before being wired for the internet. Hence the fees were to offset the cost of installing wired networks in the buildings. And I'm sure those $10 fees will be gone as soon as they pay of the network installation costs :p (sarcasm intended).

Had to pay to use the swimming pool or gym at the Ren Vienna. There was no mention of charges on their website.

OK, so I not going with the popular opinion here, just offering an another side.

For me it is just another business expense. Also most Corporate rates include internet access. That said, even if I am travelling for leisure, no I don't mind paying as long as it it reliable and I absolutely need it for that day. I have been at smaller properties where the internet access is free but very unreliable or slow. If you are travelling on leisure you really have to think about why you are staying at a Business hotel rather than a smaller Inn & Suites.

You really cannot compare smaller Inn & Suites type properties with the a Full Service Marriott. Full service hotels are like tiny cities that provide a lot of services and have very high overhead. Adding internet service in every room incurs a substantial investment on their part. It is quite different from a small Inn & Suites type property where they hire a local computer geek to add a DSL line and buy a cheap wireless router.

why not just up the cost of the room by $10? I understand this side, but $10 a night is outrageous. I can have reliable high speed in my home for $50 a month, to have it for $70 a week in a hotel is definitely a rip!

I have a 2000 sq ft house at home with a full kitchen, garage, etc. that only costs me $40 a night. Why pay $80-400 per night for just a BEDROOM and BATHROOM? :D

I also think the internet should be included in the base rate. I usually avoid FS Marriotts because I'm on govt rates and I'm not sure if I get reimbursed for internet and parjing or not (I think not...), and I would feel guilty asking to be paid for these since they are free at other facilities. I would choose FS Marriotts more often if these were included.

This is easily my biggest pet peeve. I HATE having to pay extra for the internet. And I don't ever pay for it out of my own pocket, just think it's a dumb charge. Wireless or not, that aspect doesn't matter.

By the way - has anyone ever tried to use the internet through the TV? I have a couple of times when my laptop was in the shop. That's even a bigger joke, darn near impossible to use. And I think that gets some stupid charge as well.

100% agreement with you there. I was in a pinch about a year ago and absolutely had to check for an email while on a leisure trip where I didn't have my laptop. I was willing to pay the $10 for the email, so I tried logging in to the TV. It was the absolute worst system ever - slow, pages rendered totally wrong (making email almost impossible to use), and difficult to navigate around a page or from page to page. I was eventually able to get the email - after about 15 minutes.

At check-out, I let the front desk know how hard it was to use the system. Since I did get my email, I wasn't pushing for a refund - just letting them know I wasn't real happy with the user experience. The clerk laughed and admitted that the system sucks and that everybody hates it. He took the charge off my bill without my having to ask for it. :)

Count me in with the group that is bugged with hs web charges. I think, however, some of the posters have already answered the "why" quesiton.
I'm sure a high percentage of these charges just get expensed...meaning there are enough guests who don't really care....which is how hotels can get away with having those charges in the first place.

I'm afraid I don't buy the "higher overhead" agument for full-serv hotels having myriad "nickel and dime" charges. The "higher overhead" is already reflected in the higher room rates. I suspect where the higher overhead is coming into play is in published room rates being a bit below what the hotel really needs to make a decent profit. My guess is that the business model is "publish a room rate lower than what we need....then recover profit by nickel-diming the guest. Better to annoy the guest AFTER he/she arrives than scare him/her off when the hotel choice is being made"

Also in my experience, if a charge is really offensive enough, a little polite but loud and firm complaning usually will make it go away.

I have found the more expensive the hotel the more the internet rate is. I hate this. To pay $179 a night and then $10 to $15 a day for internet is obscene

Market segmentation
 

I can expense this whenever traveling on business. Which I think is the key to why it is charged. If you are self-employed or at a small business, I am guessing that FS Marriotts are out of the question. So, the lower brands offer free Internet to that market segment.

If you are a corporate executive or consultant, then the FS Marriotts are expected, and so is the ability to expense the charge. So, they charge it.

If I am traveling on leisure with my family, I will go to JW or FS Marriott with my points or $. Then, I don't want to even bring my laptop. My blackberry will alert me to any corporate calamities that require my attention.

So, I am not surprised that they charge $9.95 at the FS Marriotts.

I find this thread amusing, as I am sitting in a Hilton now with free internet access. The Marriott down the street charges $9.95 a night (plus $0.50 tax). I am only here because I am tacking on a one-night stay at Hilton for each week of travel the rest of this year to get Gold, hopefully Diamond.

albatross

to follow up on the above...

hotels routinely ripped guests off on phone charges.

They charged the "AT&T operator assisted rate plus a xx % surcharge" which worked out to about $6 total for a 2 minute call. Their cost - what - 3-4-5 cents a minute?

As soon as folks had an alternative, they dropped the use of hotel phones like hot potatoes...and poof!!! there went those big profit margins...and phone revenue.

Now I am not a techno-geek...for sure...but someday, I imagine all computers will come equipped with a satellite sensor that allows us to connect to the internet thru cyberspace...and we won't need those $10 a day connection fees...and when that happens, the hotels will complain about all the lost revenue...

same old, same old...

Internet charges
 

Clearly, charging $9.95 a day is a blatant ripoff. As others have mentioned, I simply expense it so it doesn't come out of my pocket. Naturally, the Marriott people know this since the vast majority of their guests are business travellers.

Some tips for those of you that can't expense it:

1) Stay on a lower floor. I've heard that you can piggyback on the hotel's wireless service if you stay close enough to the business center (usually on a lower floor). I've seen people sitting outside the airport lounges doing this.
2) If you work for a large company then suggest that they try to negotiate a rate that includes internet access for you and other employees. Some hotels will do it if you can provide enough business for them.
3) Some hotels (ex. Marriott Miami) provide in room net terminals for free for guests on the concierge levels. True, it's just a browser and no local storage but it's good enough for most things and it's free.

One other thing. I've heard that WayPort (the company that provides internet access in many hotel chains) has monthly passes for around $39.95. If you travel a lot then it's way cheaper then $9.95 a day and you might be able to talk your travel department into springing for it ;)

For those who use high speed consistenly at Marriott/Ren, sign up for a $21.95 all you can eat monthly (no contract) at boingo.com. It includes roaming at many Marriotts.

Cool. Thanks for the tip.

I've found pluging my cell phone into my laptop (using the cell as the modem) works great for checking email. I don't know what the charges are now but when I signed up (Sprint) I got all you could eat data for an extra $10 month. I probably run 100 to 150 megs through my phone every month (much more sometimes). It's certainly not as fast as hs, but it's a heck of a lot faster than dial-up. You can get the software and cord from Radio Shack or futuredial.com.

Pretty obvious from this thread why full service hotels charge for internet access - because most people can stick their client or employer with the charge.

Alas, I travel about 25 nights a year on my own dime, so this doesn't work too well for me particularly when I book via priceline. However one plus to the Marriott policy is that it disincentivizes me from lugging my laptop on short leisure trips as I am better off simply checking email from my phone or an internet cafe. Also means less time spent in the room and more time spent on the beach. :cool:

When I do have a choice, however, I will definitely favor Hyatts, Hiltons and possibly Courtyards or RI which offer free terminals or even better free in-room wireless.

The ball continues to roll downhill at fs properties. The new Conrad in downtown Chicago offers free hs internet. Will be interesting to see if the Marriott down the block will continue to charge.

For business travelers, if your company use's IPASS for remote access they have roaming rights at just about every Marriott (and all t-mobile hotspots which includes Starbucks, Kinko's, Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc.). IPASS is really great for the road warrior. Don't know if it is available on an individual basis or only on a corporate basis.

--Jon

Does this provide access in Marriott hotel rooms that are wired as well as those hotels that have wireless. All the Marriotts that I use regularly have only wired Internet service in the guest rooms.

Omnis Have Free HS Internet Too
 

I am currently staying at the Omni Parker House in Boston, where they very proudly display a brass sign at the front desk confirming they offer free high speed internet access in every room. The desk clerk said this was the policy at all Omni properties, and it works WELL, as I'm on it now. I do admit it is a pet-peeve to get charged for high-speed internet at full service Marriotts when an increasing number of their competitors do NOT charge for this service. I am a Platinum Premier, so I have been pretty loyal over the years. On some occasions, I'll ask that the rate be bumped by $10 per night and the internet charge NOT be reflected on my hotel bill. I travel on business, but bill out my travel expenses to my clients, who on occasion have inquired about the internet charges. In the future, I may ask that the charges be waived altogether. It will be interesting to see what the reaction is, given the increasing competitive pressures from the market place.

You have to go to boingo.com and check the specific property for more information. I'm currently on a six month gig and boingo roams free on the in-room wired network at most of the Marriotts here (STSN/iBahn). Three days of access already pays for the boingo monthly plan. Another plus is that boingo also roams at a handful of airports.

Most of the Apple Stores have free wireless for your MAC. At least those around home here in Los Angeles.

I presume most of you know about this site to look for free WIFI:

http://www.wififreespot.com/

While not specific to Marriott, I find the whole T-Mo setup to be ludicrous.

The nice thing about my SBC DSL account is that I can add WiFi access for $1.99/mo, so now I can go log on a the Coffee Bean, Barnes & Noble, McD's, and UPS Store.... between those 4 majors, I have plenty of coverage, and keeps me out of Starbucks and Borders.

But still... WiFi can't be THAT expensive, and I think it should ALL be free. Togos, Diedrich's Coffee, other private coffeehouses, many airports (SNA, LAS, even LAX T4 ticketing area), etc. Heck, the City of Hermosa Beach, CA had plans to make the entire city WiFied!

For 60 bucks a month the Verizon laptop card is great. Its great for people that stay in hotels or are on long train rides. If you work for a big company, I am sure they have no problem squeezing a few more hours of productivity out of you.

Sprint has 'em too, and the card itself is free right now when you activate a new data plan. Can't beat free! :D

My company does let me expense it, and they've already gotten back the monthly fee through a 7-hour delay in AUS (where I would have expensed $10 for T-Mobile) and five nights at a hotel that charged $10/night for Internet. Not to mention how wonderful it is to be able to get on the Internet when I take the train in to San Francisco, visit my grandmother (no high-speed Internet access), etc.

If you ask me, it's shameful
 

As a consultant, I have to bill expenses to my clients. At least one of my clients does not want to pay 10 bucks a day for my use of the internet.

I have a hard time seeing why anyone would want to stay at a f/s Marriott. The rooms cost more to begine with, plus they make you pay for breakfast, phone calls, internet, and often parking too.

What are you getting for the money?

I simply tether to my cell phone and get on the net that way, I dislike paying for HS internet and cannot understand why the lower brands provide it for free while the high end hotels charge.

Dan

I agree completely. Charge me more for the room, but stop nickel and diming me to death with the extra charges!!

Not me, charge me for a towels please! Give me a 100buck room and charge me 10 bucks for:towels, internet, parking, soap, usa today (mandatory), each outlet i plugged into and 5 bucks for each room key! MUCH easier for me to expense that.

Kinda OT, but if i could put tips on my bill the bell man would get a 20 EVERYTIME!

My company has just rolled out Verison cards to all consultants. We charge the $60 monthly fee back to clients, but it's still less than the $160 (4 weeks X 4 days x $10/day) that we were expensing back to them before. With these EVDO cards, the speeds are as good as a lot of hotel networks and in some cases better. I think we'll see a lot more companies going this route, so Marriott should roll into the rates before it's too late.