do any hotel chains offer free internet?

spaceboy

I stayed in a Premier Inn this week and they charge £5 for one hour internet access or £9 for 24 hours. I went to McDonalds and got free internet instead.

Mummy_Jo

I'm pretty sure when we stayed with the Devere it was free wireless. We got a £19 a night deal. They do come up now and then

Altarf

Hotels that charge for WiFi are aiming the service at business customers who don't care about the charges, and personal customers who have not planned ahead.

Why else would anyone pay a hotel that sort of money for internet access, when you can buy a sim card with preloaded internet access. For example you can buy a sim card on the Three network with 1GB that lasts up to 30 days that costs about £3, which is cheaper than 1 hours use.

For free WiFi there are now loads of places, McDonalds, Wetherspoons, Starbucks (with their card), and a vast range of independents.

spaceboy

Yeah, only downside to McDonalds was there's no sockets to plug your laptop into and my battery lasts about 20 minutes these days.

I sent a complaint to Premier Inn about their WiFi charges.

colmil

I stay a lot at Premierinns but, as I am self employed, i will not pay £5 for the internet. In the US, in my experience, its free in hotels, there again, so are ice machines, but thats another topic and hobbyhorse of mine!

spaceboy

I'm actually going to submit a complaint to the competition commission as Travelodge charge £5 for 1 hour as well...

p00hsticks

spaceboy wrote: »

I'm actually going to submit a complaint to the competition commission as Travelodge charge £5 for 1 hour as well...

I don't think you'll get very far.
Travelodge and Premier Inn, like Ibis, Jury's etc, are budget chains that work on the model of providing basic accomodation for a low price and charging extra for anything that may not be required (e.g. shampoo, wifi, parking).

If you're looking for free wifi then you need to be looking at the more expensive chains such as Radisson Blu

http://www.radissonblu.com/meetings/guarantee/freebroadband

Sharon87

I know some Holiday Inns have free access - Corby for example, but that's the only one I've been to when I've had a laptop.

The Jurys Inn in Southampton has free wifi in the lobby, and has plugs. You can access the free wifi on the first 2 floors or the hotel (there's about 15 floors). I stayed there for 11 days for work and was annoying, it was unreliable, but once it got sorted it was ok.

mew

Days Inn Hotels hotels offer Free Wifi.

vikingaero

Campanile have free wifi.