Cool Amenity of the Day: WiFi On-the-Go

January 31, 2013 at 10:05 AM | by SandraRamani | Comments (0)

It's hard to believe that in 2013, there are hotels that charge for WiFi. We're not talking the budget places, either: while several wallet-friendly chains actually do provide comp internet access, it's the luxury brands that typically nickel-and-dime you for connecting fees, sometimes as much as 20 Euros a day (we're looking at you, Rocco Forte.)

In 2009, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts took a bold move and became the first international five-star brand to drop WiFi charges at all of their hotels, and later did the same for many of their Kerry and Traders brand properties. To keep up with technology�and their tech-savvy guests�Shangri-La last week announced that they are taking connectivity even further by offering free WiFi access in all their hotel cars by the end of 2013.

Shangri-La Hong Kong's Rolls-Royce Phantom lets you surf and ride in style

Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong, where the company is based, was the first to introduce in-car connections in 2010, while the new Shangri-La Toronto is the most recent to join the club, hooking up guests in their Mercedes-Benz R and S class limos. Upcoming properties in London, Istanbul, Doha and Sanya will also offer the service.

Note that while the WiFi is free, the car ride is typically not; airport transfer prices range from approximately $90 one-way in a BMW 7 series in Bangkok to about $219 one-way in a Rolls-Royce Phantom in Hong Kong. Some properties also have billed-by-the-hour chauffeured cars on hand to take you around the city for sightseeing or shopping.

Tech-wise, this may be just the beginning for Shangri-La: In Taipei, guests are welcomed in the car via FaceTime, and in Singapore, cars are equipped with iPads loaded with city info.

[Photos: Shangri-La Hotels]

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