Free wi-fi in travellers' sights

[Hvr]

Tourism Australia is asking thousands of Australian hotels to provide free wi-fi to end exorbitant in-room internet bills.

Australia's peak destination marketing body has also held talks with large telecommunications companies to join its campaign, which includes a push to have free wi-fi installed in every major tourist destination in Australia.

Read more: Free wi-fi in travellers' sights
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A great idea but why does Tourism Australia need to push the hotels to do this? Surely the hotels should consider it a necessity use their own initiative to improve their product?

 

[Mal]

A great idea but why does Tourism Australia need to push the hotels to do this? Surely the hotels should consider it a necessity use their own initiative to improve their product?

Tourism Australia are a bunch of bumbling fools. It's not their place to tell hotels to implement free wi-fi (and who is going to pay for this initiative!!). Hotels should be implementing free wi-fi themselves as a selling and customer differentiation point.

 

[Hvr]

Tourism Australia are a bunch of bumbling fools. It's not their place to tell hotels to implement free wi-fi (and who is going to pay for this initiative!!). Hotels should be implementing free wi-fi themselves as a selling and customer differentiation point.

And yet they (hotels) seem to be content for no one to do it and therefore not have to differentiate their product on this point.

 

[Skyring]

Why offer free wifi? The hotel will lose money, and attract the cheaper end of the market instead of the business travelers who have their company paying the bills. Let the hostels handle the backpackers.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Why offer free wifi? The hotel will lose money, and attract the cheaper end of the market instead of the business travelers who have their company paying the bills. Let the hostels handle the backpackers.

Alot of companies will no longer pay $30 for a night of wifi - i know mine doesn't. Backpackers will be attracted by overall cost, not wifi.

 

[Skyring]

Alot of companies will no longer pay $30 for a night of wifi - i know mine doesn't. Backpackers will be attracted by overall cost, not wifi.

Of course. Nevertheless, it is a reasonable business decision to aim for customers who don't mind paying over the cheapskates who might be looking for other freebies.

 

[kpc]

With my 4G (mostly 3G) smartphone, high hotel WiFi charges in Australia don't really concern me as I just use the data allowance from my plan. However, when overseas, I try and stay in hotels that include WiFi or don't charge extortionate prices for it. Being Hilton Diamond / Gold is great for free wifi....

 

[drewbles]

Of course. Nevertheless, it is a reasonable business decision to aim for customers who don't mind paying over the cheapskates who might be looking for other freebies.

I disagree. More and more companies, as Boris spatsky said, are simply refusing to pay for it. This is shutting off people, who will then downgrade to cheaper places.

It's in the interests of an establishment to offer it to business travellers, and in fact, many chains do. There are some rates at bigger chains that are 'business' packages, such as included 1 shirt press per day, free internet and continental breakfast. Others simply offer it for elites (Hyatt = 5 stays in 12 months to get Platinum, which gives you free internet).

Hotels are now going 'freemium' (as much as I hate that word) for internet. Hyatt and Hilton offer free internet to Elites with a 'premium' internet option available for around $10-15 a day. It's supposedly 'faster' internet, but i've had no problems getting around 2-3 megabits out of the free ones, more than enough to use without problems.

Corporations are becoming backpackers, expecting staff to live on a shoestring; the company I work for recently went back to Y only for *all* travel, after having had 12 months of Y+ being allowed. Our hotel allowance is struggling to get us into a Best Western let along anything more. And as for my per diem, the ATO suggests around $200/day for accommodation and around $165/day for meals and incidentals. I'm allowed $250/day rather than the $365 that's recommended as being reasonable.

I know for a fact the large corporates are refusing to pay $30/day for internet. The ever growing mobile data market that people are addicted to is showing that $30/day is simply not sustainable (when you can use a pre-paid SIM for a few dollars a week in most cases to get decent data access).

 

[richie9x]

Why offer free wifi? The hotel will lose money, and attract the cheaper end of the market instead of the business travelers who have their company paying the bills. Let the hostels handle the backpackers.

You could make the same argument why offer free electricity, air con and free water in the hotel room. The hotel will lose money by not charging separately for these either. These are bundled with the room and people would be turned off if they where charged separately. For some people to have wifi bundled with the room is an attraction and they will seek out hotels that have it.

It is arbitrary what is bundled with the cost of the room and what is charged separately.

 

[drewbles]

Thinking of what richie9x just said, i'm fearful that hotels will start adopting the Las Vegas model of 'resort fees' (some outside LAS already have) where they 'bundle' things like 'Complimentary WiFi, Gym and Pool access' into the room. I asked once 'but I don't want wifi, gym or pool. Do I have to pay the fee?' to be told "yes". I had a strong disagreement with the agent, not argument, just let them know my disproval at the fee and was told 'im very sorry sir, the finance people have decided that it's better to show it as a different revenue stream than just including it in the room rate'.

So, hotels are forcing a fee on top of the room, with no opt-out. It's robbery IMHO. And don't get me started on CC surcharges (wtf can't they just up the room cost and offer a discount for Cash or EFT???).

 

[drron]

You could make the same argument why offer free electricity, air con and free water in the hotel room. The hotel will lose money by not charging separately for these either. These are bundled with the room and people would be turned off if they where charged separately. For some people to have wifi bundled with the room is an attraction and they will seek out hotels that have it.

It is arbitrary what is bundled with the cost of the room and what is charged separately.

Be careful what you wish for-
Add-ons | Welcome to Tune Hotels, Best Value Hotels. Great Value Great Savings

 

[drewbles]

Be careful what you wish for-
Add-ons | Welcome to Tune Hotels, Best Value Hotels. Great Value Great Savings

Ah yes. Owned by the guy who owns Air Asia. Pioneering the add-on

 

[jetlagger]

Be careful what you wish for-
Add-ons | Welcome to Tune Hotels, Best Value Hotels. Great Value Great Savings

How sad & underwhelming, that staying in a hotel has come to this.
Clever marketing ploy.. With the guests used as pawns in their game plan.

 

[Skyring]

I disagree. More and more companies, as Boris spatsky said, are simply refusing to pay for it. This is shutting off people, who will then downgrade to cheaper places.

And that's the point I'm making. If a hotel doesn't want to have cheap customers, they simply find ways to piss them off.

Of course hotels have expensive wifi in the rooms. Just as they have expensive drinks and snacks in the mini-bar. The guests aren't obliged to touch either. Room service is likewise a dearer option to eating in the restaurant or the Macca's over the way. As is going down to the corner shop for a slab of beer or a crate of bubbly. Or plugging in your dongle.

Nevertheless, we aren't going to see the demise of mini-bars or room service any time soon, I'm thinking. Not in the four and five star hotels. Hostels and other downmarkets never offered either.

 

[markis10]

Nevertheless, we aren't going to see the demise of mini-bars or room service any time soon, I'm thinking. Not in the four and five star hotels. Hostels and other downmarkets never offered either.

Actually that is happening, with many hotels now only stocking the mini bar on request or eliminating it entirely, and there are chain hotels now looking at scaling back room service, a few of the four points properties are nowhere near 24 hour now and some have no room service at all (4 points LGK). Outrigger Waikiki has neither room service or mini bars.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowU...116985284-Hamburg_Marriott_Hotel-Hamburg.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowU...n_Cairns-Cairns_Cairns_Region_Queensland.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...-Waldorf_Astoria_Orlando-Orlando_Florida.html

 

[drewbles]

And that's the point I'm making. If a hotel doesn't want to have cheap customers, they simply find ways to piss them off.

Of course hotels have expensive wifi in the rooms. Just as they have expensive drinks and snacks in the mini-bar. The guests aren't obliged to touch either. Room service is likewise a dearer option to eating in the restaurant or the Macca's over the way. As is going down to the corner shop for a slab of beer or a crate of bubbly. Or plugging in your dongle.

Nevertheless, we aren't going to see the demise of mini-bars or room service any time soon, I'm thinking. Not in the four and five star hotels. Hostels and other downmarkets never offered either.

You can't really compare a mini bar with internet. These days, Internet is pretty much a 100% business necessity, especially for people travelling abroad (who are likely to have very strict rules on mobile phone roaming and prohibit data roaming entirely). You don't have to drink from a mini bar (I never ever do) but not having internet for your guests when a comparable chain/hotel does offer it gratis, guess where they'll go? And, having said that, Even Hyatt is toying with free mini-bars (no alcoholic) at it's Andaz brands (and throws in free internet as part of the deal). The Andaz properties are my favourite hotels to stay at where possible (non in Australia yet, and only a handful worldwide, and the 4 i've stayed in are all top notch service too).

It's not about the hotels not wanting cheap clients, it's about the clients voting with their feet, and with so many options these days, no hotel can afford to piss anyone off. As someone mentioned, you have to differentiate yourself from the masses. Internet really does not cost much to offer (despite what people think, it really does not especially if you say just up your room costs a few dollars per night, per room). No one is going to bork at paying $3 a night more for a room, but make it $30 for internet (which is often even capped at 25-50mb!) and they'll go elsewhere.

 

[k_sheep]

How sad & underwhelming, that staying in a hotel has come to this.
Clever marketing ploy.. With the guests used as pawns in their game plan.

I actually really like the concept, providing it leads to cheaper hotels (and so far, it seems to). I regularly stay in Tunes, and pick and choose what I want for a reasonable price.

Guess that makes me a pawn

 

[Skyring]

No one is going to bork at paying $3 a night more for a room, but make it $30 for internet (which is often even capped at 25-50mb!) and they'll go elsewhere.

Or get a dongle. As a night cabbie, I was always online when waiting on a rank. So long as I didn't download too much, I was fine.

What I'm seeing in the hotels I stay at, is expensive wifi, expensive minibars, expensive room service as the norm for four and five star. I can't see any of them disappearing industry-wide any time soon. Less expensive places - and I do my share of hostels and budget hotels - the expensive extras are vanishing, because they are more trouble than they are worth.

 

[drewbles]

Or get a dongle. As a night cabbie, I was always online when waiting on a rank. So long as I didn't download too much, I was fine.

What I'm seeing in the hotels I stay at, is expensive wifi, expensive minibars, expensive room service as the norm for four and five star. I can't see any of them disappearing industry-wide any time soon. Less expensive places - and I do my share of hostels and budget hotels - the expensive extras are vanishing, because they are more trouble than they are worth.

Dongles are not the be-all and end-all. There's 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 4G. Then, there's 800/900/1800/1900mHz for 2/2.5G, then 850/900/1900/2100 for 3G, then, LTE... don't get me started.

Then, if you're a road warrior, you'd need a cache of SIM's, and most likely need to re-configure it for every place you visit (APN, PIN etc) as well as needing to recall expiry date for credits (and even SIM's themselves) and ensuring balances are kept up to date, that you have a suitable data bolt-on, the list goes on and on. Sure you can use a global roaming SIM (I am biased there obviously ) but it's not a viable solution for many many travellers.

I know for a fact that wifi charges *are* disappearing. Hyatt and Hilton offer it for Elites (and HHonors gold = given away. Literally). If you're staying at Hyatts more than 5 nights, you only need to do that one time and keep staying there, that would mean 5 stays of paying, then it's gratis.

Holiday Inn are bringing in free wifi this year (well, the manager at AKL Airport HI told me that).

Hyatt are removing mini bar charges from Andaz properties.

The drive is towards a customer that wants all-inclusive. How do they do it? charge more for the room, and include it. Simple math (and much easier to claim for corporates).

 

[jetlagger]

The drive is towards a customer that wants all-inclusive. How do they do it? charge more for the room, and include it. Simple math (and much easier to claim for corporates).

That would always be the best possible simplistic & harmonious scenario from both sides of the folio..