In this day and age, free wi-fi at a hotel you're staying at should be a given, but the sad truth is that many hotels still charge (as much as $100 per day!) for wireless (or wired) Internet access. Some large hotel groups are just confusing, with some of their hotel brands offering free wi-fi and others not, or wi-fi available only in the common hotel areas but not in the guest rooms.
What's a busy traveler to do? Consider staying at one of the hotel chains below, which understand that Internet access is a necessity, rather than a luxury, for many travelers today (in fact, a J.D. Power & Associates 2010 survey found that free wi-fi is the most important amenity for hotel guests).
Business-Oriented Hotels with Free Wi-Fi
Your best bet for finding a hotel that has high speed Internet is to look at hotels aimed at business travelers. But this could also go either way: some hotels will charge a hefty daily fee because you're a business traveler, and upscale/luxury hotels, like the Ritz-Carlton, are recalcitrant to guests' complaints about wi-fi charges. Here are two business-oriented hotel brands, however, that do offer complimentary wi-fi:
- Courtyard by Marriott: Although Marriott in general is ranked on HotelChatter's Worst Hotel WiFi 2010 list, the Courtyard by Marriott brand, targeted towards mobile professionals, offers free wi-fi in guest rooms in over 850 hotels in 35 countries. Guest rooms also include flexible workspaces and central business services/spaces.
- Hyatt Place: Like the Marriott, Hyatt as an owner of many disparate hotel brands has a confusing wi-fi policy that varies by brand. Hyatt Place, however, is targeted towards business travelers, so the hotels are in urban locations with contemporary decor, and they offer business amenities like meeting spaces, a coffee and wine bar, and, of course, complimentary wi-fi.
Midscale and Economy Hotels with Free Wi-Fi
Hotels designed for personal/family travel (as well as business travel) may also commonly offer free wi-fi, and since you can find these hotels just about everywhere, they're good bets for frequent travelers.
- Best Western: Best Western International is the world's largest hotel chain, with over 4,000 hotels in 80 countries -- and every single guest room has free high-speed Internet access. Best Western Premier hotels, like the Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites in Denton, TX, offer more amenities and refinements than the standard Best Western hotels, but three-star Best Western hotels are more ubiquitous.
- Holiday Inn: Both Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels (designed for frequent business travelers) provide free high speed Internet access in all of the guest rooms in North America (as is the case for most of the hotels featured here; outside of the US and Canada, you should check by location). Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts also offer free unlimited local and toll-free calling and fax and photocopy services. Holiday Inn has been making brand refinements at all of their 3,200+ hotels worldwide, with the aim of making them more comfortable, stylish, and refreshing.
- Four Points by Sheraton: Part of the Starword Hotels and Resorts Worldwide group of hotels, Four Points by Sheraton is the "value" brand to Sheraton Hotels, offering better rates and basics versus Sharaton Hotels' larger properties and bell service. Part of that added value? Free high speed Internet access.
Boutique Hotels with Free Wi-Fi
Boutique hotels have unique, typically intimate environments where personality and design rule. Though the hotels (and sometimes the rooms) are usually smaller, staying at a boutique hotel can sometimes be a luxurious experience, and you can often find free wi-fi at these smaller hotel chains.
- Hotel Indigo: One of the largest boutique chains is Hotel Indigo ("the first branded boutique hotel"), part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (which also includes Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and others). There are over 30 Hotel Indigo locations in North America, located in urban to near-urban markets, and dozens more in the pipeline. Each Hotel Indigo features locally-inspired design with an upscale feel. And, of course, free wi-fi.
- Kimpton Hotels: another boutique hotel chain with dozens of hotels, most of them with 4-star ratings, in major metro areas across the U.S. To get the free wi-fi access at a Kimpton Hotel, however, you first have to sign up for their free loyalty rewards program, the Kimpton InTouch program. In addition to the free Internet access, joining the loyalty program offers other perks: items from the mini bar for free, discount on in-room spa services, and complimentary nights based on your guest history.
Other Types of Hotels with Free Wi-Fi
Extended stay hotels, like IHG's Staybridge Suites and the Hyatt Summerfield Suites are residential-style hotels targeted towards upscale travelers. As such, complimentary wireless Internet is of course included, as are, typically, fully equipped kitchens, free breakfasts, complimentary guest laundry facilities, and 24-hour business services.
Also keep in mind that joining a hotel's free loyalty rewards program, as with the Kimpton Hotels, can get you free wi-fi there even if the hotel typically charges for wi-fi. Make sure, however, that you check the program rules, which might require you to meet minimum stay quotas before "earning" your free wi-fi -- in which case, unless you really love that hotel brand, your best bet is a hotel that doesn't make you jump through hoops to get online during your stay with them.
If you're looking for a hotel now, you can compare rates at About.com's Travel Center (powered by Kayak). Tip: to even further narrow your search for a high-tech hotel, you can also compare hotel Internet connection speeds at your destination to see which hotels have the fastest connections.
Article sources: HotelChatter's Annual Hotel WiFi Report 2010 (a fantastic resource with additional hotels' wi-fi information), individual hotel websites 10/1/2010.
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