It's a nice, concise list from a site dedicated to talking about hotel customer satisfaction--according to customers: The list is very reasonable, and while Wi-Fi isn't available in all rooms at all of the five chains they suggest--Kimpton, Omni, Marriott Residence Inn, Best Western, Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express--it's available in all the lobbies. Internet access is free in all the rooms in these particular chains.
In researching hotel Wi-Fi recently, I have one giant pulsating piece of advice to hotel operators: put a page on your Web site for each hotel that describes, in detail, all of the Internet connectivity options at your hotel, including lobbies, restaurants, and rooms, and including the cost. Show me pictures of your lobby. Tell me your day rate. If guests visit me, can they use Wi-Fi in the lobby, too, and at what cost? Do some rooms have Wi-Fi and some Ethernet? Can I request a Wi-Fi room, as some resorts (such as one in San Diego) offer?
And don't hide the cost. Hotels that tell me what the gym costs, what other amenities cost, pretend that "Internet access available" is going to sucker me in. Nope. I call the front desk, and with some dithering, eventually get a price. One hotel tried to convince me that the cost was $10 per 12-hour period--that was the reservation line. When I finally got to the front desk, it was much simpler: $10 per 24 hours. [link via BoingBoing]
In my little part of the world I did a survey of 15 motels/hotels to find a place for a meeting of 50 people that all have notebook wifi equipment. I found that in the 6 months since I first checked this same group of motels, that all the hotels that HAD pay wifi, were now offering free wifi. Out of 15 motels, only one motel (a large chain) still was trying to charge 9.95 per day and informed me that they may be able to consider throwing in the wifi access if we had enough rooms reserved!! If one hotel trys to charge you for wifi, three others across the street have it for free. Now on to the airports...they are the worst for free access. g
Wi-fi in Hotels should be free, period. Users should settle for nothing less and dig up hotels that offer it.