Why do some hotels charge for wi-fi and not others?

 

I was looking at Intimate hotel for my next trip (Tim's Boutique). In looking at the features and reviews of the hotel online, I noticed they have a surcharge for internet access. Is this correct?

 

Internet access was free in all hotels I've stayed at so far in Pattaya.

 

I realize I'm a 2 week millionaire and paying for daily wi-fi access is nothing compared to the bigger picture, but for some reason it's a turn off to me and will make me look for other hotels if they do.

It is just one of those things. I used to stay at Expat in Patong and as great as the hotel was from a mongers point of view, the lack of wi fi was a major turnoff. The internet is here to stay and wi fi is like hot water. People expect it if your not a low grade hotel. If Tim Boutique are not a low grade hotel then they should provide Wi Fi. Charging extra? Do they charge extra for a key to your room or bedsheets on the bed? 

 

Fuck it is 2013. Get with the program either be a low grade hotel or provide wi fi. 

Nearly all guest houses in patts give free wifi

Mainly just the 4/5 star hotels charge for wifi

Costs the hotels sod all once set up

A few years back, when the internet was still a relative novelty, I think most hotels charged for it. Then a lot of them started putting one free computer in the lobby. From there, slowly but surely, they've progressed towards just giving free wi-fi in every room. I've stayed at Sandy Spring for years and that's exactly how it has gone with them.

 

The ones that still charge for it are just hanging on to the old way. I'm sure they'll stop eventually because it'll start to lose them customers - as it is with you and Tim Hotel. 

Yes, hopefully some of the remaining hotels will catch on.

 

When on holiday mode, compared to the bigger picture of overall spending, maybe it's not as big of a deal but when hotel prices are high as it is you figure at least offer free wi-fi.

 

Maybe some of these hotels don't care because they'll still get business due to the increase in tourism to Pattaya, but still.

 

I guess one could just walk to a nearby internet cafe but more convenient just to boot up your laptop/device and go from there.

Holiday Inn and Hilton both charge for in-room access, but I think it is free in their public areas (lobby, etc.)

I am not in anyway keeneow/mean...but I just refuse to pay for in-room wifi. I just think that its a rip off. There are lots of good hotels (and even guest houses) in Patts that offer in room wifi for free.

I stayed one time at Sea Me Spring which had free internet - it was weak and sometimes non-existent. I have also stayed at the much cheaper hotel opposite, Sawasdee Seaview. At Seaview they charge 55 baht an hour. Their wi-fi is now full strength and reliable. They have routers on every floor and I guess they use a more expensive, and better, provider.

 

A good internet connection is important to me. I'd rather pay for something that I can rely on, than have a useless freebie. I stayed at Winner Inn once. Their free internet was so hopeless there that I had to take my laptop to a nearby internet cafe to pay for a decent service.

 

Is the free internet really free? Surely the hotels and restaurants offering it just add a few baht on the room or food bill to cover the cost.

 

Why do some hotels charge for wi-fi and not others?

 

I was looking at Intimate hotel for my next trip (Tim's Boutique). In looking at the features and reviews of the hotel online, I noticed they have a surcharge for internet access. Is this correct?

 

Internet access was free in all hotels I've stayed at so far in Pattaya.

 

I realize I'm a 2 week millionaire and paying for daily wi-fi access is nothing compared to the bigger picture, but for some reason it's a turn off to me and will make me look for other hotels if they do.

 

Couldn't agree with you more.....anybody that charges for internet service in the room nowdays is out of touch and living on another planet....a few years back....maybe, but not now. I would let Tim Botique know that I was planning to stay there but will be going elsewhere due to their moronic internet charge policy. I travel all over the world and almost nowhere do they charge for internet anymore and I absolutely refuse to stay with any place that is this screwed up in their business model. I noticed that another BM mentioned in this thread that Hilton and Holiday Inn here in Patts charges for internet...amazing. I don't think they are doing that great either from my observations when I'm in their lobbies...it's probably not their internet policiy but every little thing counts in any business nowdays.

Stealth tax

Up to them.

Up to you.

If they don't have free in room wifi I wont stay there.

I would think the loss of patronage outweighs the cost of providing wifi, more so for the middle tier hotels. They could easily and sneakily add a few dollars to the cost of a room to help offset cost. I guess the top end hotels can charge because their guests are often tied to their hotel through club/points cards, etc.

When checking in at Tim's the reception asked us to pick out of a bowl and you "won" some free wi fi service, 2-4 hour range I believe. You can also purchase 24 hours of service for 350 baht, not so bad. Just got to remember to log off.

I only stay where there is good wifi and free, I am sure I pay somewhere though, an out of sight out of mind sort of thing,  

One of my pet hates and It always annoys me as when I first arrive in BK and stay the first 2 nights in4/5star hotels like the Amari or. Byoke they always want to charge for WIFI. As soon as i start travelling and stay in 3 star and its free!!!! Never get my head round it.

 

 

Big C

Around the world you get free internet in guest houses and 1-3 star hotels.

Stay in a 4-5 star and you can expect to pay 20usd a day for internet. My

buddy just got back from Atlantis in Nassau Bahamas. He takes his family

2-3 times a year. Drops 10-12 K each trip at the hotel and he just shakes

his head at being charged 20 usd a day for internet that barley works.

4-5 star hotels see a lot of business travel with people using expense accounts.

 

Therefore, the hotels assume that they can charge for many items that "lesser" hotels don't charge extra for, and the customers won't care since they aren't personally paying for it.

Edited April 20, 201313 yr by DMustang

What is the cost? Hotels and condos for that matter have Internet in reception lobby areas, so to allow it throughout the building would surly not be any more of a cost to the management or I'm I wrong?

Tuna58 and Dmustang...regarding why 4&5 star hotels charge for wifi, it may be to compensate for the drop in revenue stream from their Business Centres (BC). Since the 1990's hotels BC generated significant revenue from - email, overseas calls, video conferencing and photo-copying...nowadays the savvy traveller uses his phone/ipad/laptop and has no need for a BC.

 

This drop in income might be one reason why 4/5 star hotels, might be one reason why they seek to "milk" guests via wifi charges.

Ok here's the deal with Intimate/Tim Boutique hotel.

 

If you book through their website directly, the wi-fi is free.

 

If you book through another website such as agoda, you have to pay. They have various time cards and the 24 hour option is 350 baht. 

When checking in at Tim's the reception asked us to pick out of a bowl and you "won" some free wi fi service, 2-4 hour range I believe. You can also purchase 24 hours of service for 350 baht, not so bad. Just got to remember to log off.

 

More than $10 a day for 24 hours of wi-fi! They've got to be fucking kidding, when practically every poxy guest house, hotel, bar and restaurant provides it for free.

(rant)

 

F*CK THEM! This is a pet hate of mine. I refuse to book into ANY hotel that charges for Wi-Fi. And that's in any country. It is just a blatant ripoff as most of them already have an internet connection in order to run their business. This is just another grab for the gullible tourists dollars!

 

When I was in Phuket last year we stayed at a very large hotel at the North of Patong. They wanted 500 Baht a day for internet access. I went and got a DTAC SIM for 650B and shared my connection with all my family & friends using my phone as a WiFi hotspot for the entire 10 days we were there.

 

I reckon if they charge for wi-fi, you can guarantee they will try to stick it up you any other way they can think of.

 

(/rant)

Thailand holiday homes houses: free wifi but weak.

Flipper lodge soi 8: 150 bht for 24 hours or 350 for 3 days. Sometimes strong, sometimes weak.

H boutique hotel soi honey: free. Strong

Yes, fully agree, non-free WIFI has always ben a pet peeve of mine, therefore I include it as a searchable feature on my hotel site www.wgfriendly.com

 

I totally agree with the above, and I too can't understand hotels that don't include WIFI in the room rate, even if it is slow.

 

In my opinion, the infrastructure and work required to maintain a premium WIFI service, i.e. changing passwords, printing new password slips, invoicing, etc. already makes up 80% of the WIFI charge... why bother at all?

I am not in anyway keeneow/mean...but I just refuse to pay for in-room wifi. I just think that its a rip off. There are lots of good hotels (and even guest houses) in Patts that offer in room wifi for free.

 

Hotels that charge for wi-fi access That make me laugh!!!

Yep, I totaly agree with you m8.

It's a deal breaker for me as well