Today my wife and I checked in to the Hilton Garden Inn in Detroit, where we will live for the next month. The hotel has free internet, and the instructions say that I simply have to plug my laptop into the data port and access a starting web page. We want to use two computers though, so the single data port is a bit of a problem.
Instead of following the instructions, I plugged in an Apple Airport. I figured that I would have to do a bit of gymnastics to get networking magic to recognize the Airport since it cannot access a web page, but when I tried it from my PowerBook, it just worked. The NAT stuff must handle all those details for me. My wife was online in a couple of minutes with her iBook. We both got free high-speed internet, set-up in under four minutes just by plugging things in.
It gets better though. When I checked the wireless icon in my menu bar, I found that the hotel a wireless access point too, and that I could connect to it. The signal strength was much weaker than the airport six inches from the desk, so I do not need to use the hotel wireless. The last hotel I stayed at (The Comfort Inn in Warwick, RI, four days ago) had pay-per-day wireless access, so my wife and I had to pay individually since we could not hide our two computers behind an Airport.
But it does not stop there. I can print to the laser printer in the hotel business center, and do it from my hotel room. I can do it directly, it says, or I can access the PrinterOn website and upload files along with some special codes found on the instructions, and the stuff magically shows up in the business center. If I cannot upload the files, I can email them to a particular address with a couple of markers at the top of the email that tell the printer what I want. And, at the Hilton Garden Inn, it is free.
Life is good.
Which other hotels have free high speed access?
Free in-room guest printing
Doubletree hotels also offer free in-room remote guest printing (securely print from your Internet connected laptop or PDA to a printer in the hotel's business center). The complimentary service will be found in all guestrooms by the end of 2004.
Best Western to offer free high speed chainwide by Sept. 2004 http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2004-01-23-best-western-internet_x.htm
Directory of US Hotels with high speed internet access
My website, PluggedInns.com is a directory of US hotels with high speed internet access. I invite everyone to visit the site and forward any comments, suggestions or recommendations of hotels with this amenity.
Free Hotel Wi-Fi is Coming Faster Than Expected
April 15: Good summary by Pyramid Research's John Yunker- Free wireless access in hotels is becoming widespread faster than expected and is quickly becoming a "killer amenity."
Which hotel chains offering what? http://www.mobilepipeline.com/news/18901548
i love free high speed internet access
we had a similar experience at the Banana Bay Club on Siesta Key in FL. Free high speed internet access, AND Free phone calls within the USA & Cananda. Fantastic!!!