This is part 1 of our weekend catch-up! Part 2 arrives tomorrow…
Marriott’s big, bright, glass-top Gaylord Opryland hotel blocked guest wi-fi (Photo: Marriott)
Marriott caught blocking guests’ wi-fi. The Federal Communications Commission has slapped Marriott with a $600,000 fine for allegedly blocking Wi-Fi access for guests with personal wi-fi hotspots who were attending meetings at the chain’s Opryland Hotel in Nashville last year. The blocked access reportedly affected meeting rooms and ballrooms, but not guest rooms. Why would the hotel do that? Because conference organizers would then have to pay $250 to $1,000 per access point to use the hotel’s wi-fi system. Marriott says it was just trying to protect guests from “rogue wireless hotspots.” We’d love to hear your thoughts about this… please leave them below….
Hilton, AA offer targeted promotion to loyalists. Hilton’s HHonors program is tightening its bond with American’s AAdvantage plan by offering AA Platinum status until January 31, 2015, to selected members who register by October 15. The targeted promotion will let participants extend that Platinum status for another year, and pick up 20,000 HHonors points, if they accumulate 9,000 elite-qualifying AAdvantage miles by January 31.
Here’s a mock up of the tippy top of Korean Air’s new Wilshire Grand Center in downtown LA
New InterContinental coming to L.A. The $1.1 billion, 73-floor Wilshire Grand Center in downtown Los Angeles will include a 900-room InterContinental Hotel from the 31st to 73rd floors. Owned by Korean Air and its parent company, the building will be the tallest in the western U.S. when it opens in 2017.
Lufthansa moves at Heathrow. Star Alliance member Lufthansa has joined up with its partner carriers at London Heathrow, moving its operations there last week into the new Terminal 2. Star members United, Air Canada, ANA and Air China moved to T2 when it opened in June and all Star Alliance partners at LHR will be in T2 by the end of October. Lufthansa said its facilities at LHR T2 include “its largest lounge outside Germany” — a Senator and Business Lounge that can accommodate up to 350 travelers in 1,600 square meters. The new London lounge will also welcome Star Alliance Gold Customers as well as those traveling in First or Business Class on any Star Alliance member carrier from Heathrow.
Related: TravelSkills sneak peek at United’s new first & business class lounges at Heathrow T2
The dining room at British Airway’s swish new lounge at Dulles (Photo: British Airways)
BA enhances IAD service. British Airways has unveiled a new and improved business and first class lounge at Washington Dulles. The 10,000 square foot facility can accommodate up to 200 premium travelers, offering free alcoholic beverages, work areas, showers, a VIP area and dining. The opening of the new lounge was timed to coincide with BA’s introduction of the Airbus A380 on its London Heathrow-Washington Dulles route last week.
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this is why these hotels and convention facilities get away with this: most people stop caring as it’s not their money, too much of a hassle, etc etc. The fine is absolutely nothing in compared to the revenue they are already raking in. I personally will not stand for it and will make it known everytime I encounter price gouging.
I stayed at this hotel about 10 years ago and most of the cell phone service was blocked too, forcing you to use their telephone service. You had to go outside in order to make a phone call. WiFi wasn’t as popular then so it seems they progressed with the times.
I thought it was illegal to block communication signals…what is wrong w Marriott…they should have admitted being wrong and promised never to do that in any of their properties