Paradox in luxury hotels charging for Internet
A must-have amenity at the top of every traveler’s list: internet access. But in an apparent paradox, luxury hotels are far less likely to provide free internet than lower-priced ones.
Three-quarters of luxury and "upper upscale" hotel chains — segments that include brands such as Four Seasons, Hilton and Marriott — charge for in-room Internet access, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association 2010 Lodging Survey conducted by STR Global.
In comparison, just 2 percent of full-service mid-range hotel chains — a segment that includes brands such as Holiday Inn — ask guests to pay a fee for surfing the web, the survey found.
"It's something that drives me and a lot of my clients relatively insane," travel agent Janice Hough told CNN.
"If you're paying $500 for a hotel room, you can probably afford $15 or $20 a day for the Internet. But it leaves a bad taste in people's mouth," she said.
Hough and many others are complaining that while some upscale hotel chains provide complimentary internet in their less expensive properties while charging for it at the upscale facilities.
Guests can log on for free at any Marriott Courtyard, for example, but have to pay while staying at a JW Marriott, though the chain waives the fee for elite members of its loyalty program, according to CNN.
Wireless Internet access is one of the top five "must-have" amenities for hotel guests, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.
So why do luxury hotels want to charge for it?
"The hotels charge for Internet because the customers continue to pay for it," answers Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst for Forrester Research.
He said the common assumption is that business travelers do not mind the added cost, which they simply charge to their expense accounts. But many guests have raised objections, surveys have found.
By David Wilkening
David
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