(Photo: The Digitel / Flickr)
Today Hilton (finally) announced that starting later this year it would offer free wi-fi to all guests except those who book through online travel agencies such as Expedia.
Until today, Hilton lagged behind most other major hotel chains in rolling out more liberal complimentary wi-fi offerings.
There are a few wrinkles to Hilton’s offer:
First, only top-tier Diamond HHonors members get free “premium” wi-fi— you know, the faster option that allows users to stream video, upload and download photos and crank through emails with large attachments. This starts in the “second quarter.”
Everyone else gets “standard” wi-fi— you know, the one that allow you to skim through email, Twitter and Facebook, check flight status or make an OpenTable reservation but that’s about it. (This goes into effect in August.) If you want a faster connection, you’ll have to pay up.
Unfortunately, new free wi-fi policies don’t apply at Hilton properties where there is an irritating “resort fee.” (UPDATE from Hilton: Diamond members who book directly through a proprietary Hilton channel or through one of our corporate travel partners will be upgraded to complimentary premium Wi-Fi at our hotels where there is a resort charge.)
Hilton was smart to add that guests who book via corporate travel departments or agencies will still get the free wi-fi. When Marriott announced its “free” wi-fi, bookings made via corporate travel managers and corporate travel agencies were not included, leading to loud squawks.
Related: Hilton’s current double points promo
So far, Hyatt’s free wi-fi policy comes with the fewest strings attached— starting last month, Hyatt offers every guest fast, free wifi, regardless of how they booked their stay or their loyalty program status. Still, only Diamond and Platinum Gold Passport members get free premium wi-fi.
What are your thoughts about the difference between “premium” or “enhanced” versus “standard” hotel wi-fi? Is a standard connection enough for you? Please leave your comments below!
Here are the details of Hilton’s announcement today:
What are your thoughts about the difference between “premium” or “enhanced” versus “standard” hotel wi-fi? Is a standard connection enough for you? Please leave your comments below!
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I personally have not seen the difference between the alleged enhanced WiFi and regular internet access. I have been hilton diamond and marriott gold for many years. Both are typically slow and unreliable.
I’m sorry, but I’m still going to recommend Hyatt where there is no tiered internet. If I’m paying the higher cost to be in a 4 or 5 star hotel I don’t want to pay even more or be part of a proprietary program to get a perk that I should be getting in the first place for the higher cost I’m already paying.
Yes. That wi-fi is not packaged into hotel prices at this point is just a sign of glaring greed, that ever present reality of capitalistic mind think – i.e., capitalism is good, but some of its little tricks aren’t. Take the airline industry for example – please. A total con game as relates to pricing. But I digress. Back to hotel tricks 1A: come on people add $5 buck to the hotel room cost and call it a day. Just bend over and give in to the 21st Century. In choosing comparable hotels I will always opt for the one with free wi-fi. The other guy can go pound salt, like the airlines, but wait, I digress yet again….what is it about the airlines? They have made an clumsy art out of how to confound customers.
Finally getting with the program?
I’m not a big fan of the tiered service levels for hotel Wi-Fi. I recently stayed at a hotel in Europe that had low-speed free Wi-Fi or fairly expensive (around $15/day) high-speed Wi-Fi. The free Wi-Fi was barely usable. I could send and receive text emails if I waited long enough, but that was about it. I was tempted to think that the hotel deliberately made the free Wi-Fi painful so customers would pay for the faster service.
I am sorry but this new policy on breaking up internet into speeds is troublesome. It’s like telling you that your TV has basic stations but if you want ESPN or CNN you have to pay for it or be a frequent member of the hotel’s program.
The problem with breaking this up is the reason why we now have Net Neutrality program in which ISP’s has to give the same coverage to all, they can’t slow down the web because of how much you are paying.
I would really like to think what others think of this? Basic inernet is nothing more than an excuse that the hotel will not give you proper speed to do more than just email. I for one have a sling box and prefer to watch my TV at home instead of TV in the city that I am at. By having by own TV I can skip through commercials and basically watch what I want, when I want it. So basic Internet doesn’t cut it, the line is not powerful enough.
I understand what is happening, hotels really don’t want to pay for proper internet. This is becoming a biggger problem as more hotels try to save on their internet bill and folks like us have to take a stance on this. We pay for a room so we should get proper Internet, not some slow connection.
Sorry but this is a growing problem that needs a better solution than what these hotels are doing spilting the coverage.