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Internet, Travel & Tourism

The times to charge for Wifi are ending

11.26.08 | 14 Comments



Daniel pointed me to a blog post by a online consultant in Germany who is outraged his hotel is charging him 5 euros PER HOUR for Wifi internet. He’s wondering how much water or flushing the toilet costs.
The thing that makes it really funny is that he’s giving a web 2.0 talk at the same hotel. He’s posted complaints about all kinds of social networks and is creating a viral buzz about it. He will incorporate it in his talk. Now there’s a way to make a point!
I have 3 criteria when looking for a hotel 1) clean 2) free internet 3) safe location. I don’t care about anything else. So bad research on your part Bodenseepeter! [update: turns out he didn't have a choice in the matter, see comment below]
Daniel is wondering about what the hotel can do to respond to the blogosphere. He’s offering a crate of beer for the best idea. I’m in!
Here’s mine. It depends on the exact situation. The hotel probably doesn’t generate any revenue but has a contract with a provider in return for installation and support. It also appears to be the norm in Europe to charge outrageous amounts for hotel internet access according to the comments below.
The hotel should respond by joining the conversation and promoting their rate as cheap compared to the competition! Further, they should create a “free wifi” viral campaign. Free Wifi for people who sign-up for our newsletter. The referrals they’ll generate will pay for itself. And they can keep a relationship going with the people who sign-up.
[UPDATE: The hotel will offer free Wifi starting in 2009; this was already in their plans]

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  • http://www.feverbee.com/ Richard Millington

    I don’t it’s long before charging for Wifi will seem as strange as charging for running water. It will just be anticipated at most hotels and public venues.
    Transportations hubs, then hotels, then (hopefully), entire cities

  • http://www.feverbee.com Richard Millington

    I don’t it’s long before charging for Wifi will seem as strange as charging for running water. It will just be anticipated at most hotels and public venues.
    Transportations hubs, then hotels, then (hopefully), entire cities

  • http://www.bodenseepeter.de/ Bodenseepeter

    …it wasn’t me who booked the hotel. The company asking for my presentation picket it.

  • http://www.bodenseepeter.de Bodenseepeter

    …it wasn’t me who booked the hotel. The company asking for my presentation picket it.

  • Joel Tkach

    I would suggest the hotel provide wireless internet at no charge in exchange for the customer completing a survey. This way there is value back to the property as management and staff can learn where they doing well and where there is room for improvement.

  • Joel Tkach

    I would suggest the hotel provide wireless internet at no charge in exchange for the customer completing a survey. This way there is value back to the property as management and staff can learn where they doing well and where there is room for improvement.

  • Holly

    So what happens now? The hotel has been widely criticized, yet they were already on the way to solve the problem. Is it only the hotel’s role to try to communicate the full story? Is spreading the good news as strongly embraced in social media as spreading the bad? Even in your post, though you share the update on this situation, it’s a footnote in brackets at the end of the text, not worthy of mention in your opening paragraph, much less its own headline. (I’m not saying you personally need to lead the way on this. Just an observation.)
    It’s the same criticism that newspapers have faced forever. Everyone sees the big splashy headline, but no one ever sees the correction buried at the bottom of page 3. With social media, we have a chance to deal with the follow-up in a better way, but how often does this happen?

  • Holly

    So what happens now? The hotel has been widely criticized, yet they were already on the way to solve the problem. Is it only the hotel’s role to try to communicate the full story? Is spreading the good news as strongly embraced in social media as spreading the bad? Even in your post, though you share the update on this situation, it’s a footnote in brackets at the end of the text, not worthy of mention in your opening paragraph, much less its own headline. (I’m not saying you personally need to lead the way on this. Just an observation.)
    It’s the same criticism that newspapers have faced forever. Everyone sees the big splashy headline, but no one ever sees the correction buried at the bottom of page 3. With social media, we have a chance to deal with the follow-up in a better way, but how often does this happen?

  • http://wilhelmus.ca/ William Bakker

    That’s why I didn’t name the hotel. This is a reality everywhere and putting the blame on one operator wouldn’t be fair.
    In some cases though, people/companies do evil/stupid things. I don’t think there’s a problem with pointing them out. Makes everybody think twice.

  • http://wilhelmus.ca William Bakker

    That’s why I didn’t name the hotel. This is a reality everywhere and putting the blame on one operator wouldn’t be fair.
    In some cases though, people/companies do evil/stupid things. I don’t think there’s a problem with pointing them out. Makes everybody think twice.

  • http://www.tourismuszukunft.de/ Daniel

    Hello,
    I am Daniel from Tourismuszukunft – just some thoughts…
    It was kind of aggressive solution to write the hotel’s name… Google is dominated now by blogs. I consider Wilhelmus solution a quite good one… hopefully there will be other good ones as well, because shipping beer to Canada is kind of expensive ;) .
    Best regards,
    Daniel

  • http://www.tourismuszukunft.de Daniel

    Hello,
    I am Daniel from Tourismuszukunft – just some thoughts…
    It was kind of aggressive solution to write the hotel’s name… Google is dominated now by blogs. I consider Wilhelmus solution a quite good one… hopefully there will be other good ones as well, because shipping beer to Canada is kind of expensive ;) .
    Best regards,
    Daniel

  • http://www.myneuhausen.de/ neuhausen

    I don’t it’s long before charging for Wifi will seem as strange as charging for running water.

  • http://www.myneuhausen.de neuhausen

    I don’t it’s long before charging for Wifi will seem as strange as charging for running water.


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